H20_21-45/OIA 2020/061
4 May 2020
Amy S Van Wey Lovatt
Email: [email address]
Dear Ms Lovatt
Thank you for your request dated 23 March 2020 requesting information under the Official Information Act
1982, regarding
RCPA policy. You requested:
1. What is your DHB's policy on second opinions requested by a third party who is a medical practitioner
currently involved in the medical care of the patient from whom the pathological material was
originally obtained?
2. In the event that your DHB deviates from the aforementioned RCPA policy, I request an explanation
for why your DHB deviates from best practice.
Please note, my request does not reflect the standard of care provided at your DHB, but is to ascertain
whether there is consistent adherence to RCPA best practice amongst all NZ DHBs.
Please note that this is a combined response from Capital & Coast (CCDHB) and Hutt Valley District Health
Boards (HVDHB) and that laboratory services for this region (CCDHB, HVDHB and Wairarapa DHB) have been
contracted to Wellington SCL.
The information pertaining to your request is below.
Question 1:
What is your DHB's policy on second opinions requested by a third party who is a medical practitioner
currently involved in the medical care of the patient from whom the pathological material was originally
obtained?
Answer:
Wellington SCL follows the attached RCPA Policy 2/1999 for the ‘Provision of second opinions with reference
to morphological examination’ (see attached document). In summary we would comply with any request for
second opinion – either to provide slides from our files for the review by another pathologist, or by providing
a second opinion review itself if a request is made to us.
Question 2:
In the event that your DHB deviates from the aforementioned RCPA policy, I request an explanation for why
your DHB deviates from best practice.
Hutt Valley DHB | Private Bag 31907, Lower Hutt 5010 | 04 566 6999 l
www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz
Capital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Newtown, Wellington 6342 | 04 385 5999 l
www.ccdhb.org.nz
Answer:
Wellington SCL does not deviate from the RCPA Policy 2/1999 for the ‘Provision of second opinions with
reference to morphological examination’.
Please note that due to staff redeployment and our current response to COVID-19 we are experiencing delays
in responding to your request and apologise sincerely.
I trust this information fulfils your request.
You have the right to seek a review, under section 28(3) of the Act, by way of a complaint to the Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely
Fionnagh Dougan
Chief Executive
Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley District Health Boards
Hutt Valley DHB | Private Bag 31907, Lower Hutt 5010 | 04 566 6999 l
www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz
Capital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Newtown, Wellington 6342 | 04 385 5999 l
www.ccdhb.org.nz