Dear Mr Lamborn

Thank you for your request for official information, received by the
Ministry of Health on 23 May 2018. The Ministry's reference number for
your request is: H201803871

You requested:

"Please answer the following questions, in a searchable and accessible
format:

a. What technique did the Walker team use for vaginoplasty?
b. When searching for a replacement vaginoplasty surgeon, what, if any,
technique did the ministry prefer that its candidates be skilled in? What
review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which
techniques are preferable?
c. When searching for phalloplasty surgeons overseas, what, if any,
technique did the ministry prefer that its surgeons perform? What review
or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques
are preferable?
d. What surgical techniques (for both vaginoplasty and phalloplasty) are
to be performed by Dr Rita Yang?"

Your request has been logged and you can expect a reply no later than 21
June 2018 as required under the Official Information Act 1982.

Please note that a working day is defined in the Act as ‘any day of the
week other than a Saturday, Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day,
Labour Day, the Sovereigns birthday, Waitangi Day and a day in the period
commencing 25 December in any year and ending 15 January in the following
year.

If a large amount of information has been requested or if the Ministry
needs to consult in order to make a decision, we may need to extend this
date (this is provided for in section 15A of the Act).  We will advise you
if such an extension is necessary.

Yours sincerely,

Maima Koro
Advisor

[Ministry of Health request email]
Ministerial Services  l  Government Services  l  Office of the Director
General

[1]http://www.health.govt.nz

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Dear Mr Lamborn

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for official
information.

Regards,
Maima Koro
Ministerial/OIA Advisor
Ministerial Services (OIA)
[Ministry of Health request email]  

Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
[1]www.health.govt.nz

From:        "P. Lamborn" <[FOI #7905 email]>
To:        OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health <[Ministry of Health request email]>,
Date:        23/05/2018 01:45 p.m.
Subject:        Official Information request - GRS surgical techniques

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Dear Ministry of Health,

A variety of techniques exist for GRS for trans women (vaginoplasty) and
trans men (phalloplasty), for example vaginoplasty may be performed via a
"rectosigmoid" method or by penile inversion. Since the 2003 review the
ministry has provided funding for 3 MtF surgeries and 1 FtM surgery every
two years. Until the retirement of Peter Walker in 2014 the vaginoplasty
surgeries were performed by his team in Christchurch; phalloplasty has
been performed overseas.

Please answer the following questions, in a searchable and accessible
format:

a. What technique did the Walker team use for vaginoplasty?
b. When searching for a replacement vaginoplasty surgeon, what, if any,
technique did the ministry prefer that its candidates be skilled in? What
review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which
techniques are preferable?
c. When searching for phalloplasty surgeons overseas, what, if any,
technique did the ministry prefer that its surgeons perform? What review
or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques
are preferable?
d. What surgical techniques (for both vaginoplasty and phalloplasty) are
to be performed by Dr Rita Yang?

Yours faithfully,

P. Lamborn

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #7905 email]

Is [Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests
to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
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Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
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If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

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distribute or copy this message or attachments.
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Dear Mr Lamborn
Thank you for your Official Information Act request which has been partially transferred to the DHB (as per the attached letter).

We are working on a response for you which will be sent as soon as practical and within the 20 working day timeframe as per the Ombudsman's Guidance, 27 June 2018.

We will contact you if we have any queries with the request.

Kind regards, Dinah

Dinah Nicholas
Executive Assistant to Dr Gloria Johnson - acting Chief Executive
Board Secretary
___________________________________________
T: +64 9 277 3401 I Ext: 53401 I M: 021 682 923 
[email address]
Room 13, Poutasi Corridor, Middlemore Hospital, Otahuhu
Private Bag 94052 Auckland 2241
www: [email address]

________________________________________
From: "P. Lamborn" <[FOI #7905 email]>
To: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health <[Ministry of Health request email]>,
Date: 23/05/2018 01:45 p.m.
Subject: Official Information request - GRS surgical techniques
________________________________
Dear Ministry of Health,

A variety of techniques exist for GRS for trans women (vaginoplasty) and trans men (phalloplasty), for example vaginoplasty may be performed via a "rectosigmoid" method or by penile inversion. Since the 2003 review the ministry has provided funding for 3 MtF surgeries and 1 FtM surgery every two years. Until the retirement of Peter Walker in 2014 the vaginoplasty surgeries were performed by his team in Christchurch; phalloplasty has been performed overseas.

Please answer the following questions, in a searchable and accessible format:

a. What technique did the Walker team use for vaginoplasty?
b. When searching for a replacement vaginoplasty surgeon, what, if any, technique did the ministry prefer that its candidates be skilled in? What review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques are preferable?
c. When searching for phalloplasty surgeons overseas, what, if any, technique did the ministry prefer that its surgeons perform? What review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques are preferable?
d. What surgical techniques (for both vaginoplasty and phalloplasty) are to be performed by Dr Rita Yang?

Yours faithfully,

P. Lamborn

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message and any accompanying attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message.
Visit www.kiwihealthjobs.com, New Zealand’s largest employment site for jobs in the public health sector. 100% owned and supported nationally by the District Health Boards (DHBs) and the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS).
If you are looking for medical jobs in New Zealand, your career in health starts with us.

hide quoted sections

Dear P Lamborn,

Please find attached a letter in response to your request for official
information about GRS surgical techniques.

Regards,

David
---------------------------------------
Dr David St George
Chief Advisor
Office of the Chief Medical Officer
Ministry of Health
Wellington
New Zealand
****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
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Dear Mr Lamborn
Please find attached our final response to your request for Information.

Regards, Dinah

Dinah Nicholas
Executive Assistant to Dr Gloria Johnson - acting Chief Executive
Board Secretary
___________________________________________
T: +64 9 277 3401 I Ext: 53401 I M: 021 682 923 
[email address]
Room 13, Poutasi Corridor, Middlemore Hospital, Otahuhu
Private Bag 94052 Auckland 2241
www: [email address]

________________________________________
From: "P. Lamborn" <[FOI #7905 email]<mailto:[FOI #7905 email]>>
To: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health <[Ministry of Health request email]<mailto:[Ministry of Health request email]>>,
Date: 23/05/2018 01:45 p.m.
Subject: Official Information request - GRS surgical techniques

_______________________________

Dear Ministry of Health,

A variety of techniques exist for GRS for trans-women (vaginoplasty) and trans-men (phalloplasty), for example vaginoplasty may be performed via a "rectosigmoid" method or by penile inversion. Since the 2003 review, the ministry has provided funding for 3 MtF surgeries and 1 FtM surgery every two years. Until the retirement of Peter Walker in 2014 the vaginoplasty surgeries were performed by his team in Christchurch; phalloplasty has been performed overseas.

Please answer the following questions, in a searchable and accessible format:
a. What technique did the Walker team use for vaginoplasty?
b. When searching for a replacement vaginoplasty surgeon, what, if any, technique did the ministry prefer that its candidates be skilled in? What review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques are preferable?
c. When searching for phalloplasty surgeons overseas, what, if any, technique did the ministry prefer that its surgeons perform? What review or investigation did the ministry conduct to determine which techniques are preferable?
d. What surgical techniques (for both vaginoplasty and phalloplasty) are to be performed by Dr Rita Yang?

Yours faithfully,

P. Lamborn

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message and any accompanying attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message.
Visit www.kiwihealthjobs.com, New Zealand’s largest employment site for jobs in the public health sector. 100% owned and supported nationally by the District Health Boards (DHBs) and the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS).
If you are looking for medical jobs in New Zealand, your career in health starts with us.

hide quoted sections