19 July 2018
Amanda Ashley
Via email at FYI.org.nz
E-ma
il: [FYI request #8157 email]
Dear Ms Ashley,
Official Information Act (1982) Request
I write in response to your Official Information Act request, received by us on 02 July 2018. You
requested the fol owing information:
•
a time-line and road-map of your current and future projects or funding that affect Trans-
gender care.
For context, Counties Manukau District Health Board is committed to improving the health outcomes
for all people in our community. We acknowledge that our gender-diverse communities have both
general health needs (e.g. chronic conditions, mental health and primary care needs), and also have
specific health needs that relate to gender identity and transition (e.g. hormonal, surgical). All health
providers have a duty to deliver services that are respectful to our entire community.
Specialist trans-gender services for adults are provided across the Auckland region via the
Northern Region Trans-gender Health Services (NRTHS); which is a collective name for the services
that provide gender-affirming healthcare for trans-gender and gender-diverse people living in the
Auckland region. Specialist services for our youth are provided via the Youth Health Centre.
Access to funding for gender reassignment surgical options are managed via the Ministry of Health
High Cost treatment pool.
Regionally, there is an agreed Trans-gender Health work-plan, which set out a number of key
activities for 2017-2019. This work-plan was informed by an advisory group, which includes
consumers. The development of the plan has been supported by two appointments (a Project
Manager and Clinical Lead), to work with a range of health service providers and staff to
promote Trans-gender Health service improvements and extend clinician education opportunities. In
addition, as a part of this work-plan, the Clinical Guidelines for Trans-gender Healthcare are currently
being updated.
Any further expansion of trans-gender services or funding within CM Health for the Counties
Manukau community can only occur if and when capacity and funding allow. If a decision is made
at a future date by the Ministry of Health to provide more services within New Zealand, we will work
closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure there is equitable access for our population to the
services. At this point, we have no DHB-specific road-map for this, and are not able to provide
a more specific time-frames for this.
Counties Manukau District Health Board
19 Lambie Drive, Manukau, Auckland 2104 | Private Bag 94052, Manukau, Auckland 2241
T: 09 276 0000 | cmdhb.org.nz
I trust this information satisfactorily answers your query. If you are not satisfied with this response you
are entitled to seek a review of the response by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Official
Information Act.
Please note that this response or an edited version of this may be published on the Counties Manukau
DHB website.
Yours sincerely,
Gloria Johnson
Chief Executive (Acting)
