Official Information request - Consumers Rights & Physicians Obligations -
Referrals and Inter -District Flow
Amy S Van Wey Lovatt to: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of
Health
29/01/2020 09:43 a.m.
History:
This message has been forwarded.
Dear Ministry of Health,
According to the Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and
Disability Services Consumers' Rights) Regulations 1996, Right 6 clause 3 (c),
"Every consumer has the right to honest and accurate answers to questions
relating to services, including questions about...(c) how to obtain an opinion
from another provider;". Further, Right 7 clause 8 states: "Every consumer has
the right to express a preference as to who will provide services and have
that preference met where practicable."
According to the MoH Operational Policy Framework 2019/20, available through
Nationwide Service Framework Library <https://nsfl.health.govt.nz>,
section 7.5.2 "Regions should ensure that clear referral pathways are in place
and known to all clinicians."
Request 1:
I respectfully request a copy of each referral pathway for each region in New
Zealand.
Background:
I am a New Zealand citizen. Waikato DHB, my DHB of Domicile (DoD), has
insisted that my GP provide a referral to services outside my DoD; however,
when my GP referred me to the Southern DHB, the only DHB we could find which
had a protocol consistent with the Endocrine Societies Guidelines for testing
for hyper aldosteronism, the Southern DHB rejected the referral on the grounds
that the referral was from my GP and not my specialist, Dr Wu, at my DoD.
Clearly, Waikato DHB and Southern DHB cannot both be correct, as they
contradict each other. [The statement, referrals must be from GPs AND
referrals cannot be from GPs, is logically false.]
Request 2:
Please provide me with the specific policy, guideline, rules or legislation
(including page or section number) which specifies who is responsible for the
submission of patient referrals to specialists, where the specialist is
located in a DHB that is not the DoD, especially in the case of where two
DHB's have contradicting policies.
Request 3:
Please provide me with the specific policy, guideline, rules or legislation
(including page or section number) which specifies the avenues that patients
may take to seek care out of the DoD, when the patient has lost all trust and
confidence with the DoD.
Request 4:
Please explain how these policies are consistent with the Code of Health and
Disability Services Consumers' Rights, specifically:
- Right 3, which states "Every consumer has the right to have services
provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of the
individual"; and
- Right 4 clause 3, which states "Every consumer has the right to have
services provided in a manner consistent with his or her needs"; and
- Right 7 clause 8, which states: "Every consumer has the right to express a
preference as to who will provide services and have that preference met where
practicable".
Respectfully yours,
Amy S Van Wey Lovatt
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