Private Bag 911, Timaru
New Zealand
Telephone 03 687 2100
Facsimile 03 688 0238
13 August 2018
Gloria Fraser
For Your Information.Organisation
By email: Gloria Fr
aser [FYI request #7912 email]
Dear Gloria
RE: Official Information Request
Thank you for your request concerning gender affirming healthcare services.
You requested whether the SC District Health Board funds the following gender affirming
healthcare services and whether the services are currently available.
Hormone therapy
-
Yes but requires psychiatrist and endocrinologist approval and
recommendations
Mastectomy
-
No
Hysterectomy
-
No
Orchidectomy
-
No
Facial hair removal
-
No
Breast augmentation -
No
Voice training
-
No
You also asked about the process for accessing the above services specifically:
a) Is an assessment by a mental health professional required in order to access gender affirming
health care services? If so, which services.
Refer to b) below.
b) In the case of hormone therapy, can primary health providers prescribe hormones, or does
this have to be initially approved by endocrinologist?
Primary Health providers can prescribe hormones but require psychiatrist and endocrinologist
approval and recommendations
c) Is any period of real life experience required to access surgery?
Access to surgery is via a GP and referral to appropriate clinics, currently no surgery is
undertaken in New Zealand.
d) Please advise what the process is if transgender patients require one of the above services,
but the SCDHB does not offer this service?
If a patient requires a service that is not provided by our DHB then they will be referred to the
appropriate tertiary hospital, based on the clinical referral pathway.
e) Does the SCDHB currently fund patients to travel to other areas to access this healthcare?
Patients are funded as per the National Travel Assistance criteria.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Yours sincerely
Teresa Heap
EA to Chief Executive Officer
