Taranaki Healthcare Limited
Private Bag 2016
New Plymouth 4620
New Zealand
Telephone 06 753 6139
Facsimile 06 753 7770
Email [email address]
Website www.thcl.co.nz
Taranaki Base Hospital
Private Bag 2016
New Plymouth 4620
New Zealand
20 June 2018
Telephone 06 753 6139
Facsimile 06 753 7710
Hawera Hospital
Post Office Box 98
Gloria Fraser
Hawera
New Zealand
Email:
[FYI request #7915 email]
Telephone 06 278 7109
Facsimile 06 278 9910
Stratford Health Centre
Telephone 06 765 7189
Dear Gloria
Opunake Health Centre
Telephone 06 761 8777
Re:
Official Information Act
Patea + Waverley Districts Health Centre
Telephone 06 273 8088
I am responding on behalf of Taranaki District Health Board (DHB) to your OIA
Waitara Health Centre Telephone 06 754 7150
request of 23 May 2018, requesting the following information:
Mokau Health Centre
Telephone 06 752 9723
Could you please advise whether the following gender-affirming healthcare
services are funded by the Taranaki District Health Board for transgender patients, and
whether the services are currently available:
o
Hormone therapy
o
Mastectomy
o
Hysterectomy
o
Orchidectomy
o
Facial hair removal
o
Breast augmentation
o
Voice training
If deemed appropriate, Taranaki DHB is able to provide the following services for
transgender patients:
Hormone therapy
Mastectomy
Hysterectomy
Orchidectomy
Could you please provide information about the process of accessing those services that
are available?
o
Specifically, is an assessment by a mental health professional required in order to
access gender-affirming healthcare services? If so, which services?
Yes an assessment is required. This would be conducted by our Mental Health Service,
including the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service.
o
In the case of hormone therapy, can primary health providers prescribe hormones, or
does this have to be initially approved by an endocrinologist?
Yes however this does need initial approval by an Endocrinologist.
Page 2
o
Is any period of real life experience required to access surgery?
Taranaki DHB is unsure what this question is referring to.
Finally, could you please advise what the process is if transgender patients require one of
the above services, but the Taranaki District Health Board does not offer this service? Does
the Taranaki District Health Board currently fund patients to travel to other areas to access
this healthcare?
If it was appropriate that transgender patients require this treatment and the patient had
been accepted for care in another region, Taranaki DHB would fund this.
I trust the above information answers your OIA request.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
