15 June 2023
Jan Magee
Email:
[FYI request #22692 email]
Kia ora Jan
Official information request HNZ000018426
Thank you for your email of 4 May 2023, asking for the following information which has been
considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“request for a copy of the protocol at Waikato Hospital in relation to the waiting times and
rescheduling of neurosurgeries.”
I am sorry for the delay in providing our response. The time taken is not what we aspire to. This is
something we are working to address, in the context of being a new organisation and dealing with a
high volume of requests, given the understandably high public interest in our work.
Please find attached copy of the Waikato DHB Policy for the “Elective Patient Journey – Planned
Care and Process Management”, as requested.
Patients are prioritised using a CPAC (Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria) scoring system which is
the national prioritisation tool used in New Zealand. The waiting times associated with the CPAC
scores are as follows:
CPAC score
Prioritisation
Recommended timeframe
1
Urgent
Up to 4-6 weeks
2
Semi Urgent
Up to 2 months
3
Non Urgent
Up to 4 months
In your email you mention that your client’s surgery was deferred five times leading to life changing
consequences. Please pass on to your client that if they are happy to send their details to us, we
will investigate their specific case to find out the reasons for these deferrals, and whether there was
anything that could have prevented this occurring.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[Health New Zealand request email].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Private Bag 3200, Hamilton 3240
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Te Whatu Ora may
proactively release a copy of this response on our website. All requester data, including your name
and contact details, will be removed prior to release.
Again, my apologies for the delay in providing this response.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Michelle Sutherland
Interim Lead – Hospital and Specialist Services
Te Manawa Taki