Waitemata DHB
North Shore City, Rodney District, Waitakere City
Licensed institutions
North Shore Hospital
| Street Address: | Shakespeare Road, Takapuna, Auckland |
| Postal Address: | Private Bag 93503, Auckland |
| Phone: | (09) 486 1481 |
| Facsimile: | (09) 486 8339 |
Services Provided
First trimester
North Shore Hospital does not provide first trimester abortion services. However, Epsom Day Hospital provides a first trimester service for women from this Hospital Board area. There is no charge for eligible women. Women can also choose to be referred to AMAC, the private clinic.
Second trimester - mental health grounds
Second trimester abortions on mental health grounds are out-sourced by the DHB to the three Auckland private gynaecologists. The DHB provides funding for this service for eligible women. This service is provided to 18+ (i.e. less than 19) weeks only.
Referral and appointments
GPs, Family Planning doctors refer initially to the Social worker for obstetrics and gynaecology contacted through the hospital switchboard. Appointments can be made by telephone but referral information will need to be provided by fax or letter. Patients can self-refer for initial counselling but will be referred back to a GP or Family Planning to obtain scans/blood tests etc.
Information required from the referrer
Minimum information required from the referrer is NHI number, patient data and history as well as a scan to confirm dates and routine antenatal and STD blood tests. Funding assessment.
Counselling
The obstetrics and gynaecology social worker will provide initial counselling and make the assessment for DHB funding. A letter stating that funding will be provided by the DHB is necessary before referral to the operating gynaecologists. The social worker will then arrange the appointment with one of the three operating gynaecologists for certification and, if the legal criteria are met, for the operation.
Procedure
See Auckland area second trimester operations. Pre-treatment of the cervix with dilapan rods followed the next day by misoprostol and then D&E.
Follow-up
Follow-up is provided by the referring doctor.
Second trimester - fetal anomaly
Referral
Referral will usually be by the lead maternity carer (LMC) or GP after antenatal screening tests have shown a fetal anomaly. Even if these tests are performed in the hospital (amniocentesis or ultrasound scan) the women will be referred back to her LMC or GP to arrange termination if this is wished by the women and her family/whānau. Referral is initially made by telephone, fax or letter, as above, to the obstetric and gynaecology social worker.
Counselling
The social worker will see the woman and her family, provide counselling and arrange further referral. The social worker determines which service will be accessed. Follow-up counselling is also available.
Referral information
Minimum information required from referrer are NHI No and personal details, medical history, results of the antenatal screening tests which should include a scan confirming gestation as well as routine STI tests and antenatal bloods.
Certification
If procedure is being performed at North Shore Hospital, certification must be provided prior in the community prior to the procedure. For surgical termination at National Women's Hospital, one or both certificates can be provided at the time of initial assessment.
Appointments are made according to bed availability in the birthing suite. Pre-procedure counseling and consent takes approximately one hour, and the procedure takes another 1-2 hours.
Procedure
Second trimester medical abortion services for fetal anomaly are usually provided at North Shore Hospital. Information on the procedure used has not been provided, but Mifegyne® is not used.
Some procedures are out-sourced to the three Auckland gynaecologists (as above for mental health grounds).
Which service is used appears to depend on the availability of a bed in the Birthing Suite at North Shore Hospital and the gestation.
Follow-up
Medical and nursing follow-up is provided 6 weeks post procedure if the induction is performed at North Shore Hospital. Follow-up counselling is also provided.
Surgery on Shakespeare
131 Shakespeare Road, Milford Auckland
Phone: (09) 486 5519 or 486 0182
Fax: (09) 486 0817
Email: surgeryonshakespeare@xtra.co.nz
This day stay hospital is licensed to carry out terminations up to 12 weeks gestation. Equipment includes a high resolution vaginal probe ultrasound. Three specialist gynaecologists are experienced in first trimester abortions. Both surgical and medical terminations are offered. For medical terminations the Guidelines on Medical Termination are followed as to doses and time interval between doses.
In house counselling is available.
DHB responsibilities
All District Health Boards are required to provide termination of pregnancy services "for those women who meet the criteria provided by the Crimes Act 1961 and the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977". See Ministry of Health. However they may not necessarily provide the services themselves. Accessing accurate, up-to-date and informative details about how individual District Health Boards provide these services, has been extremely difficult. The information provided here is the best that we have been able to obtain for this district to date. We will continue to update the website as we obtain further information.
Last Updated: 14 October 2008