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Bay of Plenty

Find the referral acceptance and access criteria for reconstructive surgery in the Bay of Plenty.

Referral acceptance

Referral acceptance

Plastic surgery referrals are prioritised by senior medical officers based on the information contained within. Additional information should be attached where available. The prioritisation tool used to triage referrals can be found below under access criteria.

All skin lesions referred from the PHO will be accepted at Tauranga Hospital.

All accepted referrals will be seen within a maximum waiting time of 4 months, unless there is a clinical reason for delay.

Referral acceptance is a follows:

First specialist assessments

Wait times

Waiting priority 1
Urgent/FCT (within 2 weeks)

Accepted

Waiting priority 2
Semi-urgent (within 4-8 weeks)

Accepted

Waiting priority 3
Routine (within 4 months)

Accepted

Waiting priority 4
Non-urgent (within 4 months)

Declined


At first specialist assessment (FSA), patients are assessed by a specialist and if surgery is required, patients are then prioritised using the National Plastic CPAC tool.  A 0-100 score is allocated to each patient.

Prior to acceptance for surgery, patients are assessed in an anaesthetic pre-assessment clinic to ensure they are fit for surgery.

All patients accepted for surgery will be treated within a maximum waiting time of 4 months, unless there is a clinical reason for delay.

Surgery acceptance is as follows:

Treatment list
Plastic surgery CPAC 10+ Accepted
Plastic surgery hand and upper limb CPAC 58+ Accepted
Skin lesions CPAC 30+ Accepted

Access criteria

Access criteria

Category

Criteria

Immediate

Priority 1

  • Melanoma or melanoma in situ – or suspected

  • T2 (2cm or larger) Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • Malignancies – head, neck, oral, salivary, connective tissue, sarcoma or lymph node

  • Facial palsy – if risk of corneal exposure

  • Vascular malformations if encroachment on visual field

Urgent

Priority 2A

  • T1 squamous cell carcinoma of skin

  • Basal cell carcinoma

  • Primary Breast Reconstruction

  • Reconstruction after tissue loss with functional impairment (G3 with no func imp)

Semi-urgent

Priority 2B
  • Chronic sores and ulcers or pressure sores

  • Carpal Tunnel and other nerve compression syndromes

  • Facial palsy

  • Nerve palsies

  • Congenital hand deformities with functional impairment (G3 with no func imp)

  • Dupuytrens contracture with functional impairment (G3 with no func imp)

  • Stenosing tenosynovitis (eg de Quervains)

  • Vascular malformations

  • Hydradenitis suppurativa

Semi-urgent

Priority 2C
  •  Secondary breast reconstruction

Routine

Priority 3

  • Benign skin lesions and subcut lumps

  • Benign tumors

  • Scar revision and scar management

  • Liposuction in “abnormal” cases

  • Abdominal redundancy

  • Maxillo-facial deformities

  • Nasal deformity or reconstruction

  • Rhinophyma

  • Ptosis (levator weakness)

  • Ectropion

  • Eyelid reduction in “abnormal” cases

  • Ear reconstruction (congenital and traumatic abnormalities)

  • Prominent ears

  • Breast reduction

  • Mastopexy

  • Gynaecomastia

  • Congenital abnormalities of the breast

  • Chest wall deformities (e.g. pectus excavatum)

  • Ganglion and soft tissue tumors of the hand


Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand - Bay of Plenty has limited plastic surgery specialist FTE. ACC related injuries can be referred to the hospital, but depending on priority may wait longer than referral to a private provider.

The following conditions are not seen locally, but referred to Waikato for tertiary management:

  • Cleft lip and palate
  • Vaginal, vulval or penile reconstruction
  • Neonate congenital hand deformities
  • Neonate Hypospadias or Epispadias
  • Burns and burn scar management
  • Craniofacial abnormalities