Dear Renoh

Please accept this as an acknowledgement of your Official Information Act request below.

I will have a response to you on or before 28 September 2020.

Kind regards
Rachael

Rachael McCallum, OIA Coordinator
Internal Ext: 55454 | DDI: 03 476 9454 | Email: [email address]
Southern District Health Board
Kind - Manaakitanga | Open - Pono | Positive - Whaiwhakaaro | Community - Whanaungatanga
Please note that my usual office hours are Mon & Thurs 9am - 2.30pm, Tues 9am - 1pm, Wed & Fri 9am - 12pm

-----Original Message-----
From: Renoh Chalakkal <[FYI request #13623 email]>
Sent: Monday, 31 August 2020 13:13
To: OIA <[Southern District Health Board request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Current referral system followed in Ophthalmology referrals received from GPs and Primary health care providers

Dear Southern District Health Board,
I would like to confirm that I am currently residing in New Zealand and have provided the proof for the same with my previous OIA request.

I would like to know the details about the current referral system followed by Southern DHB in ophthalmology referrals. I have the following questions:

1. How are the ophthalmology referrals prioritized?
2. Is there any automatic referral system in place?
3. Are there any standards or operating procedures that are followed while placing referrals from GPs/primary care providers?
4. Can private eye care providers (Specsavers/OPSM etc.) refer a patient to specialist ophthalmologists in Southern DHB?
5. Can a patient consult with a specialist ophthalmologist at the ED directly without an appointment? If not can a GP immediately refer a patient to a specialist ophthalmologist at the hospital? Are there any specialist ophthalmologists available in ED 24*7?
6. What criteria are followed in prioritizing the ophthalmology referrals?
7. In 2019-2020, what is the average time taken for a GP referral for different types (serious, moderately serious, and not serious, etc.) ) priorities to get an appointment with a specialist ophthalmologist/optometrist?
8. How many specialist ophthalmologists and optometrists are practicing in Southern DHB separately?
9. How many registered ophthalmologists/optometrists are there in whole New Zealand?
10. Were there any steps taken by DHBs across New Zeland (or at least by Southern DHB) to conduct the ophthalmology clinics remotely over tele-platforms so that patients get necessary eye care during the different stages of lockdown in New Zealand?

Expecting a reply soon. Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Renoh Chalakkal

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FYI request #13623 email]

Is [Southern District Health Board request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Southern District Health Board? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________

This email or attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the addressee(s). Any use, redistribution, disclosure, or reproduction of this message, except as intended, is prohibited. If you received this email in error, please notify the sender and remove all copies of the message, including any attachments. Please note, the views expressed in this communication are not necessarily those of the Southern DHB, unless expressly so stated or apparent from the context.

hide quoted sections

Dear Renoh

Attached is our response to your Official Information Act request.

Kind regards
Rachael

Rachael McCallum, OIA Coordinator
Internal Ext: 55454 | DDI: 03 476 9454 | Email: [email address]
Southern District Health Board
Kind - Manaakitanga | Open - Pono | Positive - Whaiwhakaaro | Community - Whanaungatanga
Please note that my usual office hours are Mon & Thurs 9am - 2.30pm, Tues 9am - 1pm, Wed & Fri 9am - 12pm

-----Original Message-----
From: Rachael McCallum On Behalf Of OIA
Sent: Tuesday, 1 September 2020 11:08
To: Renoh Chalakkal <[FYI request #13623 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Current referral system followed in Ophthalmology referrals received from GPs and Primary health care providers

Dear Renoh

Please accept this as an acknowledgement of your Official Information Act request below.

I will have a response to you on or before 28 September 2020.

Kind regards
Rachael

Rachael McCallum, OIA Coordinator
Internal Ext: 55454 | DDI: 03 476 9454 | Email: [email address]
Southern District Health Board
Kind - Manaakitanga | Open - Pono | Positive - Whaiwhakaaro | Community - Whanaungatanga Please note that my usual office hours are Mon & Thurs 9am - 2.30pm, Tues 9am - 1pm, Wed & Fri 9am - 12pm

-----Original Message-----
From: Renoh Chalakkal <[FYI request #13623 email]>
Sent: Monday, 31 August 2020 13:13
To: OIA <[Southern District Health Board request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Current referral system followed in Ophthalmology referrals received from GPs and Primary health care providers

Dear Southern District Health Board,
I would like to confirm that I am currently residing in New Zealand and have provided the proof for the same with my previous OIA request.

I would like to know the details about the current referral system followed by Southern DHB in ophthalmology referrals. I have the following questions:

1. How are the ophthalmology referrals prioritized?
2. Is there any automatic referral system in place?
3. Are there any standards or operating procedures that are followed while placing referrals from GPs/primary care providers?
4. Can private eye care providers (Specsavers/OPSM etc.) refer a patient to specialist ophthalmologists in Southern DHB?
5. Can a patient consult with a specialist ophthalmologist at the ED directly without an appointment? If not can a GP immediately refer a patient to a specialist ophthalmologist at the hospital? Are there any specialist ophthalmologists available in ED 24*7?
6. What criteria are followed in prioritizing the ophthalmology referrals?
7. In 2019-2020, what is the average time taken for a GP referral for different types (serious, moderately serious, and not serious, etc.) ) priorities to get an appointment with a specialist ophthalmologist/optometrist?
8. How many specialist ophthalmologists and optometrists are practicing in Southern DHB separately?
9. How many registered ophthalmologists/optometrists are there in whole New Zealand?
10. Were there any steps taken by DHBs across New Zeland (or at least by Southern DHB) to conduct the ophthalmology clinics remotely over tele-platforms so that patients get necessary eye care during the different stages of lockdown in New Zealand?

Expecting a reply soon. Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Renoh Chalakkal

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FYI request #13623 email]

Is [Southern District Health Board request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Southern District Health Board? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________

This email or attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the addressee(s). Any use, redistribution, disclosure, or reproduction of this message, except as intended, is prohibited. If you received this email in error, please notify the sender and remove all copies of the message, including any attachments. Please note, the views expressed in this communication are not necessarily those of the Southern DHB, unless expressly so stated or apparent from the context.

hide quoted sections