Planning and Funding
Telephone: 0064 3 364 4193
P O Box 1600
CHRISTCHURCH
Ralph.lasal [email address]

23 December 2021

Andrew McGregor

Email: [FYI request #17690 email]

Dear Andrew

RE Official information request CDHB 10787 and WCDHB 9649

We are writing to acknowledge your email dated 23 November 2021 to the Ministry of Health which
they subsequently transferred to us today requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act from Canterbury DHB and West Coast DHB. Specifically:

1.  “What are the official Guidelines/procedures for urgent X-rays (24 hour)”
  2.  “What are the Guidelines/procedures for patients repeatedly admitted to Emergency
Department with severe epigastric pain/ and upper right and left quadrant pain”
  3.  “Guidelines/procedure for investigating possible Colonic Motility Dysfunction/Defecatory
Disorders/Anorectal Dysfunction”

Please note that your three requests are being answered as one OIA request. We are replying using
[FYI request #17690 email] al ocated by the FYI website to -
Official Information request - Guidelines/procedure for investigating possible Colonic Motility
Dysfunction/Defecatory Disorders/Anorectal Dysfunction.

We will consider your request against the provisions of the Official Information Act (see below) and
advise you of our decision regarding the release of information within 20 working days (being the
statutory timeframe provided within the Act.)

Please note: As per the Ombudsman’s guidance Official Information Act requests/responses close
down between 25 December 2021 and 16 January 2022. We are also taking into account the public
holiday for Waitangi Day on 7 February 2022.

Accordingly, we will notify you, no later than 11 February 2022, of our decision.

15 Decisions on requests
(1) Subject to this Act, the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to whom a request is made in accordance with section 12
or is transferred in accordance with section 14 of this Act or section 12 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987 shal , as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that department or Minister of the Crown or organisation,—
(1)(a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
(1)(b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the decision on the request
[If we are unable to make a decision on your request by the date noted above, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.]

Your request is being handled by Lara Williams. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact
either myself (details above) or Lara. ([email address]; Phone (03) 364 4140). Please
refer to the OIA number above when phoning or emailing.

Yours sincerely

Ralph La Salle
Team Leader, Planning & Funding

15 Decisions on requests
(1) Subject to this Act, the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to whom a request is made in accordance with section 12
or is transferred in accordance with section 14 of this Act or section 12 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987 shal , as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that department or Minister of the Crown or organisation,—
(1)(a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
(1)(b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the decision on the request
[If we are unable to make a decision on your request by the date noted above, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.]

Document Outline