CORPORATE OFFICE
Level 1
32 Oxford Terrace
Telephone: 0064 3 364 4160
Christchurch Central
Fax: 0064 3 364 4165
CHRISTCHURCH 8011
[email address]
20 May 2019
Gloria Fraser
Email: [FYI request #10149 email]
Dear Gloria
RE Official Information Act request CDHB 10081
I refer to your email dated 16 April 2019 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act from Canterbury DHB regarding gender affirming healthcare provided 2018. . Specifically:
Could you please advise how many transgender people received each of the following services,
specifically for gender-affirming healthcare purposes, within the 2018 calendar year?
a. Puberty blockers
b. Hormone therapy
c. Mastectomy
d. Hysterectomy
e. Orchidectomy
f. Facial hair removal
g. Breast augmentation
h. Voice training
i. Facial feminization surgery
As previously advised in our response to CDHB 9864, Canterbury DHB funds and provides all the above
services for transgender patients on a limited basis, except for facial hair removal.
Where an event has been identified as a transgender related procedure in the clinical notes we code
that electronically to the inpatient event. However in many cases the clinical notes have not specified
that the treatment is a transgender related procedure. As we not hold accurate data at this time, we are
declining a response under section 18(g) of the Official Information Act.
We are aiming to improve our collection of this information in the future.
If you disagree with our response, you may, under section 28(3) of the Official Information Act, seek an
investigation and review of our decision from the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz; or Freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, or an edited version of this response, may be published on the
Canterbury DHB website after your receipt of this response.
Yours sincerely
Carolyn Gullery
Executive Director
Planning, Funding & Decision Support
