Tēnā koutou,

I am writing to request information about the gender-affirming healthcare services provided by the Southern District Health Board.

Could you please advise whether the following gender-affirming healthcare services are funded by the Southern District Health Board for transgender patients, and whether the services are currently available:

- Hormone therapy
- Mastectomy
- Hysterectomy
- Orchidectomy
- Facial hair removal
- Breast augmentation
- Voice training

Could you please provide information about the process of accessing those services that are available?

- Specifically, is an assessment by a mental health professional required in order to access gender-affirming healthcare services? If so, which services?
- In the case of hormone therapy, can primary health providers prescribe hormones, or does this have to be initially approved by an endocrinologist?
- Is any period of real life experience required to access surgery?

Finally, could you please advise what the process is if transgender patients require one of the above services, but the Southern District Health Board does not offer this service? Does the Southern District Health Board currently fund patients to travel to other areas to access this healthcare?

If any part of my request is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact me.

If any of the information that I have requested is unavailable or would be difficult to retrieve, but similar information might be readily available, I would be happy to discuss altering or refining my request.

Ngā mihi,
Gloria Fraser

Kia ora,

I wonder if you could please clarify a few details of this response:

Does this mean that all of the services I mentioned are available on a case by case basis, but none are routinely funded (or guaranteed to be funded)? I say this as you noted the Southern DHB has provided voice training, laparoscopic hysterectomy and oophorectomy in the past, but then went on to mention hormone therapy, orchidectomy, and breast reduction surgery. I am a little unclear as to what is currently available.

Ngā mihi,
Gloria