Dear Doctor,

Information about our current services and how to access them is contained within this section of the web site. You will also find information about assessment criteria for General Anaesthesia (ASA standards).Please do not refer patients with severe systemic disease (class 3 in the table below)
Please feel free to comment and give suggestions regarding site content.

If you and your GP colleagues would like to attend one of our GP open evenings then please contact us to arrange a suitable date. To date we have held several of these events & they have proved helpful to both GPs and hospital staff alike.

Our main services are listed below:

Our current services will be restricted until Eater 2012 due to ongoing building work at our Harewood Road site & new facility next door. General surgery : We can offer treatment for most  hernia types, pilonidal disease, haemorroids, anal fissure etc. Family planning services: We can offer Tubal ligation, Mirena, minor Gynae procedures and vasectomy. Podiatric surgery & general podiatry. Minor hand surgery: carpel tunnel syndrome. Earthquake related non complex psych & counselling services.

If your patient fits our criteria then we would be pleased to offer them FREE treatment at our facility.

For further details on all services please call the hospital on ph 3602266 fx 3602616 or info@charityhospital.org.nz

GP Information:

Our available services operate on the basis of goodwill and flexibility of volunteer staff. It is expected that referring GP’s and Medical centres work with the trust to provide best outcomes for our patients. Canterbury Charity hospital is a day care charitable facility; we do not have overnight care facilities on site. With GP consultation support respite care can be arranged for a small number of patients at facilities such as Holly Lea in Fendalton and Stepping Stones in Addington.

The level of service we provide does tend to fluctuate from time to time dependant on the numbers of volunteer staff available at that time. We are closed over the Christmas holiday period & public holidays.

Patient Criteria:

Currently we accept patients from that of young adult upwards. Referral documentation must include 1) A Referral form 2) A patient declaration 3) A GP referral explanatory letter with full details of the condition the patient is being referred for, plus relevant medical history (eg. ECG, bloods & histology reports etc)

Click here to see services available All patients over the age of 60 likely to be given a general anaesthetic should also have had a recent ECG.

To download the patient referral forms

In addition and to assist in the assessment process of patients likely proceed to surgery the Pre operative questionnaire and Pre admission record can be downloaded to be completed by either patient or health professional, then forward to the Hospital.

Day Surgery Services currently available:

Abdominal Hernia repairs & General Day surgery procedures

Laparoscopic Tubal Ligation Minor Gynae procedures Vasectomy, Mirena and IUD insertions

Pilonidal sinus/abscess

Haemorrhoids Anal Fissure

Hand surgery, Carpel Tunnel

Podiatric surgery (in growing toe nails, minor digital arthroplasty etc) & General Podiatry

Non Complex Psych / counselling services Earth quake related

Services currently NOT AVAILABLE: Cataract and minor eye surgery..

Varicose Vein / Vascular Surgery.  NOT AVAILABLE

Anaesthetic Guidelines:

Patient selection is important. Volunteer anaesthetists have agreed that we will offer surgical treatment to patients in ASA Classes 1&2

ASA stands for American Society of Anaesthesiologists. New Zealand Anaesthetists have adopted the ASA system for classifying the pre-operative physical status of patients.

Below is the classification, with definitions (often abbreviated as ASA1, ASA2, etc):