Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Andrew McGregor
[FYI request #17690 email]
Re: Official Information Act Request – Guidelines
Kia ora Andrew
Hauora Tairāwhiti received the transfer of your request from the Ministry of Health on 16 December 2021
under Section 14 of the OIA.
The Hauora Tairāwhiti response is as follows:
1. What are the official Guidelines/procedures for urgent X-rays (24 hour)?
For urgent X-Rays: the X-Ray is requested, generally by the Emergency Department, the Medical Imaging
Technologist performs the imaging that day. The report from the radiologist follows on that day or the next
working business day.
2. What are the Guidelines/procedures for patients repeatedly admitted to Emergency Department with
severe epigastric pain/ and upper right and left quadrant pain?
People presented to the Emergency Department are seen by a triage nurse who will assign an appropriate
triage category. Following this, they are seen by the clinical team who will complete a clinical assessment. If
required laboratory tests and radiology investigations are completed. A decision will then be made about
whether they need admission or if they can be safely discharged. There are no guidelines for patients
presenting with the specific symptoms outlined above.
3. Guidelines/procedure for investigating possible Colonic Motility Dysfunction/Defecatory
Disorders/Anorectal Dysfunction?
People requiring additional work will be referred to the relevant inpatient service or be referred for review in
an outpatient setting. There are no DHB guidelines and staff follow accepted clinical practice.
If you are not satisfied with this response you may contact the Office of the Ombudsmen, phone 0800 802
602.
Please note this response or an edited version of this response may be published on the Hauora Tairāwhiti
DHB website. Your personal/identifying information will be redacted from any responses published. If you
feel that there are good reasons why your response should not be made publicly available, we will be happy
to consider this.
Ngā mihi
Jim Green
Chief Executive
Hauora Tairāwhiti
