Provider Healthcare Services
North Shore Hospital Campus
Shakespeare Road, Takapuna
Private Bag 93-503, Takapuna
Auckland 0740
Telephone: 09 489 0527
Facsimile: 09 486 8339
14 September 2020
Amy S Van Wey Lovatt
[FYI request #12531 email]
Dear Ms Van Wey Lovatt
Re: OIA request – Long-term storage of human tissue
Thank you for your Official Information Act request received 29 August 2020 seeking information from
Waitematā DHB about the long-term storage of human tissue.
Before responding to your specific questions, it may be useful to provide some context about our
services.
Waitematā DHB serves a population of more than 630,000 across the North Shore, Waitakere and
Rodney areas, the largest and one of the most rapidly growing DHBs in the country. We are the largest
employer in the district, employing around 8,500 people across more than 80 locations.
In addition to providing services to our own population, we are also the metropolitan Auckland provider
of forensic psychiatry, child disability services, child community dental services and community alcohol
and drug services.
In response to your request, we can provide the fol owing information:
I am requesting a list of documents, guidelines, protocols, best practice documents, etc., which inform your
DHB as to the appropriate building facilities for the long-term storage of human tissue which your
laboratory must meet in order to maintain IANZ accreditation and be in compliance with NPAAC and ISO
standards/guidelines/requirements. This would include who has access to the tissue. The specific building
requirements for tissue and temperature/humidity control. Specifications in regards to mitigation of loss
do to fire, flood or power outages, etc. The more detailed the better. If you have a check list, which is
supplied by one of the accreditation boards, that would be bril iant!
Waitematā DHB’s Surgical Pathology department follows the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory
Council (NPAAC)
Requirements for the retention of laboratory records and diagnostic material (7th Edition
2018) which states, “Specimens must be stored under appropriate conditions that permit reliable retrieval.”
Both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded FFPE blocks and mounted slides are stored at ambient temperatures
in a secure archival room. There are no specific temperature requirements for the storage of such materials
and there are no specifications with regards to mitigating loss of archival tissue.
As IANZ is our accrediting body, you may wish to contact them for more information about temperature
requirements.
I trust that this information is helpful.
Waitematā DHB supports the open disclosure of information to assist community understanding of how we
are delivering publicly funded healthcare. This includes the proactive publication of anonymised Official
Information Act responses on our website from 10 working days after they have been released.
If you consider there are good reasons why this response should not be made publicly available, we wil be
happy to consider your views.
Yours sincerely
Mark Shepherd
Director Provider Healthcare Services
Waitematā District Health Board
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