Taranaki District Health Board
Private Bag 2016
New Plymouth 4620
New Zealand
Telephone 06 753 6139
Fax: 06 753 7770
Email
: [email address]
www.tdhb.org.nz
Taranaki Base Hospital
Private Bag 2016
New Plymouth 4620
New Zealand
Phone: 06 753 6139
Fax: 06 753 7710
Hāwera Hospital
14 October 2021
Post Office Box 98
Hāwera
New Zealand
Phone: 06 278-9929
Fax: 06 278 9910
Stratford Health Centre Phone: 06 765 7189
Michael Vaughan
Opunake Medical Centre
Via email:
[FYI request #16802 email]
(CoastalCare)
Phone: 06 761 7324
Pātea Health Centre
Phone: 06 273 8088
Waitara Health Centre
Phone: 06 754 7150
Dear Mr Vaughan
Mōkau Health Centre
Phone: 06 752 9723
Re:
Official Information Act
I am responding on behalf of Taranaki District Health Board (DHB) to your OIA request of 19 September 2021,
which was transferred to Taranaki DHB on 30 September 2021 by the Ministry. You have requested the
following information:
1) What is the Covid-19 treatment protocol for hospitalised cases?
Taranaki DHB has had one COVID hospitalisation to date. Treatment protocols have been based on
Australian treatment protocols, which are currently being reviewed against the recently released
guidance from the Ministry of Health: Clinical Management of COVID-19 in Hospitalised Adults.
2) Are some DHB's following different treatment protocols from others?
Taranaki DHB is unable to comment about other DHB protocols. As noted above, Taranaki DHB
protocols are aligned to national guidance and international best practice, all protocols are localised
to ensure they can be operationalised in local settings.
3) Are DHB's free to make decisions about treatments for individuals with Covid-19?
Taranaki DHB clinicians will make treatment decisions based on assessment of patients’ needs,
aligned to national guidance and international best practice.
4) To what extent are patients able to participate in decision-making about their treatment
programmes?
All treatment programmes are discussed with patients and families/whanau; informed consent
policies and procedures are maintained as per standard practice.
5) If a patient requests a blood test for Vitamin D and/or the administration of high dosage Vitamin C,
are hospital staff able to provide these?
i.
A blood test for Vitamin D is available and could be requested by a doctor if clinically
indicated
Continued…
ii.
In order to answer this part of the question the assumption here is that the person requesting
the information is referring to high dose
intravenous Vitamin C. Under that assumption the
answer is ‘no’ for the following reasons:
• Intravenous Vitamin C is not listed in Pharmac’s Section H (Hospital Medicines List) and as
such (under our hospital services contract) we are not allowed to procure it for use in a
DHB hospital, whether or not the patient offers/agrees to pay for it
• Intravenous Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is not licensed as a medicine for use in NZ and
therefore comes under the ‘umbrella’ of a complementary therapy
• The current Taranaki DHB Guideline for the use of complementary therapies in Taranaki
DHB hospitals contains the following two statements:
No alternative / complementary
medicine / rongoa therapy will be supplied by the Pharmacy. If the patient insists on
continuing to take such remedies then they must provide their own supply and Taranaki
District Health Board staff are not allowed to administer alternative remedies.
iii.
If the enquirer is referring to high dose oral Vitamin C, then this could be administered to a
patient here in the hospital (after ascertaining that their renal function was good enough not
to result in any adverse effects - e.g. kidney stones - from the high dose Vitamin C)
6) Do hospital staff have the right to refuse a patient's request and, if so, is there a process for a patient
to appeal the decision?
Clinicians can decline treatment if it is not evidence based and would not be considered to be of
benefit. Patients can ask for a second opinion, use the DHB complaints process or the Health and
Disability Commissioner complaints process if they have concerns about treatment decisions.
I trust the above information answers your OIA request.
Kind regards
Gillian Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
