Tēnā koutou,

I am writing to request information about the gender-affirming healthcare services provided by the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. The DHB Gender Reassignment Services Stocktake in October 2015 indicated that the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board previously did not provide gender affirming healthcare services (see the Briefing on GRS attached to this previous request https://fyi.org.nz/request/7586-grs-wait...).

Could you please advise whether the following gender-affirming healthcare services are funded by the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board for transgender patients, and whether the services are currently available:

- Hormone therapy
- Mastectomy
- Hysterectomy
- Orchidectomy
- Facial hair removal
- Breast augmentation
- Voice training

Could you please provide information about the process of accessing those services that are available?

- Specifically, is an assessment by a mental health professional required in order to access gender-affirming healthcare services? If so, which services?
- In the case of hormone therapy, can primary health providers prescribe hormones, or does this have to be initially approved by an endocrinologist?
- Is any period of real life experience required to access surgery?

Finally, could you please advise what the process is if transgender patients require one of the above services, but the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board does not offer this service? Does the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board currently fund patients to travel to other areas to access this healthcare?

If any part of my request is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact me.

If any of the information that I have requested is unavailable or would be difficult to retrieve, but similar information might be readily available, I would be happy to discuss altering or refining my request.

Ngā mihi,
Gloria Fraser

Kia ora,

Could you please confirm I have interpreted this response correctly:

Of the services I listed, Hawke's Bay DHB only provides hormone therapy. For patients 19 and under, CAHMS may provide a mental health assessment for hormone eligibility, then HBDHB provides hormone therapy through a publicly funded endocrinologist. For patients older than 19, they must be "confirmed transgender" by a mental health professional (privately funded), then HBDHB provides hormone therapy through a publicly funded endocrinologist.

Ngā mihi,
Gloria