Waikato DHB
Hauraki District, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato District, Waipa District, Hamilton City, South Waikato District, Matamata-Piako District, Otorohanga District, Waitomo District, Ruapehu District (Ohura, Taumarunui and National Park Wards only)
Licensed institutions
Waikato Hospital
| Street Address: | Pembroke Street, Hamilton |
| Postal Address: | PO Box 3200 |
| Phone: | (07) 839 8957 or for bookings 0800 32 8271 |
| Facsimile: | (07) 839 8971 |
Thames Hospital
All bookings through the central booking office at Waikato Hospital - see above.
| Street Address: | Mackay Street, Thames |
| Postal Address: | PO Box 707 |
| Phone: | (07) 868 6550 |
| Facsimile: | (07) 868 9864 |
Tokoroa Hospital
All bookings through the central booking office at Waikato Hospital - see above.
| Street Address: | Maraetai Road, Tokoroa |
| Postal Address: | Private Bag, Tokoroa |
| Phone: | (07) 886 7239 |
Services provided
All three hospitals above are public hospitals, which provide a first trimester service for the whole Midland Region.
Waikato Hospital also provides a fetal anomaly second trimester termination service for the Midland Region to Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne and Whakatane.
First Trimester
Appointments
A centralised booking office at Waikato Hospital, organises terminations at Waikato, Tokoroa and Thames Hospitals. The booking office is open 8am to 4:30pm Monday-Friday:
| Booking: | Booking Coordinator, GOPD, Private Bag 3200, Hamilton |
| Phone: | (07) 839 8957 or for bookings 0800 32 8271 |
| Facsimile: | (07) 839 8971 |
Appointments are made by the referring clinician, usually the GP.
Information required from the referrer
NHI number, patient contact details, place of birth, residency status, gestation date scanning, first antenatal bloods and STI screening swabs.
Certification
Certification is provided by doctors in the units.
Counselling
Counselling is available to every patient, and is routine unless the patient declines. Post-abortion counselling can be provided on request.
The procedure
The procedure is suction curettage under local anaesthetic. General anaesthetic can be arranged on rare occasions for certain medical reasons. Medical abortion is not available.
Follow-up
The follow-up is usually with the referring clinician, but can be provided by the unit on request.
Cost
The service is free for eligible patients. No service is available for non-NZ residents.
Second trimester - mental health grounds
There is no second trimester service for grounds other than fetal anomaly and some other medical indications.
Second trimester - fetal anomaly and physical health grounds only
Second trimester abortion services for fetal anomaly are provided in Waikato Hospital only.
Appointments
Referral is made to the MAFAU (Maternal and Fetal Assessment Unit).
| Phone: | (07) 8398661 |
| Facsimile: | (07) 839 8979 |
Women will be seen by the doctor in the team. Re-scanning is usually done and then arrangements made to provide termination if that is requested by the woman and her family.
Certification
Certification if provided by specialist certifying consultants in the MAFAU.
Counselling
This is arranged through the MAFAU.
The procedure
The procedure is usually by induction. A new protocol using mifepristone with misoprostol as being introduced - September 2004.
Follow-up
Follow-up is offered in the MAFAU where this is appropriate for the women. If they live too far away this may be provided by their local obstetrician and gynaecologist.
Cost
The service is free for eligible patients. No service is available for Non-NZ-residents.
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