Oamaru Hospital will be offering more options for privately funded CT scans
After conducting an internal review of its CT scanning, Oamaru Hospital will be offering more options for privately funded CT scans.
All specialist referrals for CT scans will carry on as usual. In the interests of ensuring proper access to CT scans, Oamaru Hospital will be working with GPs to see that the proper clinical pathways are followed.
However, under the current funding system, the reality is that a number of CT scans aren’t covered by the funding that Oamaru Hospital receives for providing radiology services.
In order to provide those CT scans to locals and not send people away to private radiology services elsewhere, Oamaru Hospital will now make them available on a privately funded basis by referral through a GP. In practice, that might amount to only 100 to 150 scans out of the nearly 3,000 CT scans carried out currently every year.
Currently, some privately funded scans are already undertaken at Oamaru Hospital though those have been few in number to date.
The new approach starts in December 2022 and will extend the options available to local residents.
Notes:
At this time, Waitaki District Health Services Ltd does not receive any bulk funding for their CT scanner and any referrals are processed through the appropriate clinical pathway by a specialist. Any person wishing to receive a CT scan that does not fall within the guidelines of this clinical pathway will have the opportunity to pay privately or through their health insurer. NB: Funding negotiations are currently underway with Te Whatu Ora.
November 2022