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Urgent colposcopies made for women completed
Media Release
Wednesday May 9, 2007
All urgent colposcopy requests made for women by Thames-Coromandel primary providers have been completed, Waikato District Health Board health services general manager Jan Adams confirmed today.
All high grade colposcopy requests have been booked or have been offered a booking, she said.
Ms Adams’ comments came three weeks after she said all referrals to Thames Hospital since November had been sent to Waikato Hospital for assessment and prioritised according to clinical need.
Last month Health Waikato rural services manager Jill Dibble said the service had moved from Thames to Waikato Hospital in November but health professionals in the Thames-Hauraki district were not told.
Waikato DHB apologised for its poor communications and subsequently held a public meeting in Thames to assure GPs and other primary providers the problems would be addressed.
Ms Adams said in a letter to GPs that between the suspension of the Women’s Health Service at Thames Hospital and April 20 this year, 287 referrals were received and triaged via the referral centre at Thames.
On December 14 the most urgent were reviewed and arrangements made for them to be seen at Waikato Hospital.
The remaining referrals were incorporated into the Waikato Hospital list, prioritised and were being seen in priority order, said Ms Adams.
“As new referrals are made, they will be reviewed, prioritised and seen as part of the Waikato Hospital list,” she said.
Of the 287 referrals, 127 had already been seen.
There were 180 patients awaiting follow up at Thames. Eighteen were being followed up at Waikato Hospital, eight cared for by other Waikato DHB services, 20 had already been seen and discharged and 68 were still waiting to be seen. The clinical records of them were being reviewed and they would be offered a follow up at Waikato Hospital if their follow up is due before the Thames service restarts.
Ms Adams said Health Waikato, in consultation with the PHOs, would develop a communication plan to ensure primary providers and local communities were fully informed of any other changes in service provision.
Thames Hospital management were currently investigation subsidized transport options for Thames patients referred to Waikato Hospital clinics and would notify GPs and providers of the outcome.
“Additional clinics are planned to occur over the next three months to address the backlog of patients and work has begun to reinstate the Thames Women’s Health Services as soon as possible,” said Ms Adams.
ENDS
www.waikatodhb.govt.nz
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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