Dear Health New Zealand,

This message constitutes an Official Information Act (OIA) request for information regarding women's reproductive health services in the Tairāwhiti region.

I am requesting access to the following information:

• Average wait times for all priority levels for Women's Health appointments categorized by each year(January 2021 - June 2024)

Average wait times for gynaecological surgeries, categorized by urgency level categorized by each year(January 2021 - June 2024)

• Amount of Laparoscopy surgeries performed for Gynaecology patients categorized by each year (January 2021 - June 2024)

• Guidelines or protocols in place for referrals to fertility clinics for patients experiencing infertility.

• Additionally, information on what factors would make a patient exempt from a referral to a fertility clinic, including the number of miscarriages required for referral.

• Local Infertility Treatment:

• Guidelines for determining when infertility patients can be seen by local specialists rather than being referred to a fertility clinic.

• Specialist Availability:

• The number of fertility specialists currently practicing at Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti.

• Confirmation of whether there are any Endometriosis specialists currently practicing at Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti.

• Endometriosis Specialist Referrals: Data on the number of referrals made from Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti to:

• Endometriosis specialists outside the region categorized by each year(January 2021 - June 2024)

• Discharge Criteria: Information on the circumstances under which a woman experiencing infertility and ongoing Endometriosis symptoms would be discharged from the hospital system without referral to a fertility clinic, endometriosis specialist, or laparoscopy surgery.

• Clarification on why some women might be offered only birth control options despite it not being suitable of family planning needs and not seeing Improvement in symptoms while on birth control and and multiple denials of a laparoscopy when doctor has made multiple referrals for suspected Endometriosis over the course of years.

Thank you for your time and assistance with this request.

Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,
Jennifer