West Coast District Health Board
Te Poari Hauora a Rohe o Tai Poutini
Corporate Office
Telephone 03 769-7400
High Street, Greymouth 7840
Fax 03 769-7791
26 January 2022
Andrew McGregor
Email: [FYI request #17690 email]
Dear Andrew
RE Official information request WCDHB 9649
We refer to your email dated 23 November 2021 to the Ministry of Health which they subsequently transferred
to us on 22 December 2021, requesting the fol owing information under the Official Information Act from West
Coast DHB. Specifical y:
1.
“What are the official Guidelines/procedures for urgent X-rays (24 hour)”
Urgent X-rays are requested based on clinical assessment and clinical urgency for an individual patient. Some
radiology investigations cannot be performed on the West Coast; Canterbury DHB undertake these for West
Coast. We have an on-cal based radiology service at Te Nikau Grey Hospital that operates 24/7 incorporating
X-
ray and CT scanning. Urgent X-ray/CT cases are performed as soon as possible or as fits the clinical picture or
patient situation. We note that “24 hour” is not the most acute referral pathway, with “immediate” and “4
hours” being the higher priority cases. Some 24 hour cases may need immediate imaging and some come back
for a scan within the 24 hour period – so that what occurs with the 24 hour period is variant case by case, in
consultation with the referring team and/or the patient.
2.
“What are the Guidelines/procedures for patients repeatedly admitted to Emergency Department with
severe epigastric pain/ and upper right and left quadrant pain”
Repeated presentations for a similar clinical condition are assessed at each presentation. Community and
Hospital Health Pathways are used to guide clinical staff with investigation and diagnosis along with guidance on
referral pathways to specialist clinical services when required.
3.
“Guidelines/procedure for investigating possible Colonic Motility Dysfunction/Defecatory
Disorders/Anorectal Dysfunction”
Patients with lower colonic disorders wil initial y be managed by their primary care provider using Community
HealthPathways. These are part of a series of clinical and referral guidelines that is outlined electronical y and is
available to clinicians on our West Coast Healthpathways system. Access to this system is limited to health
professionals working within the West Coast Health System. The information in these pathway supports
clinicians to prescribe, refer and monitor health requests and treatment according to agreed ways of working in
the West Coast and Canterbury DHBs.
Guidelines on referral to General Surgery or General Medicine at Te Nikau Grey Hospital are within the
Healthpathway. Te Nikau based Specialists wil refer patients to Canterbury DHB General Surgery or
Gastroenterology for investigation and management when the tertiary level services are required to assist
members of our community.
I trust that this satisfies your interest in this matter.
Please note that this response, or an edited version of this response, may be published on the Canterbury DHB
and West Coast DHB websites.
Yours sincerely
Ralph La Sal e
Senior Manager, OIAs
Planning, Funding & Decision Support