Services
The Southern Charity Hospital currently offers the following services:
- Colonoscopy
- Carpal tunnel decompression
- Dentistry
More information for health professionals – Colonoscopy
More referral information for health professionals – Carpal tunnel decompression
More information for health professionals – Dentistry
Information for Patients
The Southern Charity Hospital was established by a trust in 2019 to provide FREE elective day surgery for those in our Otago and Southland community who can’t access these services because they:
- Don’t qualify for the public health waiting list
- Have exhausted their Dental Entitlement for the year through WINZ (Dentistry only)
- Don’t have medical insurance and
- Don’t have any other means of covering the cost of their treatment.
Our day surgery services include:
- Colonoscopy
- Carpal tunnel decompression
- Dentistry
Why are our services free?
Thanks to our wonderful team of unpaid volunteer surgeons, nurses, clinicians and other support staff, we can offer these free services to the people of Otago and Southland.
We rely on funding from a range of trusts and organisations, along with fundraising and donations from the public. We receive no government funding.
How do you access these services?
- You will need a referral from a health professional, which could be a GP/family doctor/nurse practitioner/dentist, health worker at a community organisation, etc.
- You will also need to provide some background information on your financial situation and complete a patient declaration form.
Information for Health Professionals
Colonoscopy – Note: The Southern Charity Hospital is unable to offer a diagnostic service for the investigation of abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
Referral form
Referral and Declaration Form
Patient criteria
Any patient you refer must meet our criteria and the patient referral declaration form is your guide to determining eligibility. The patient must meet both clinical and financial requirements of the Trust. If your patient fits our criteria then we would be pleased to offer them FREE treatment at our facility.
Documents required for referral
- Referral and Declaration Form
- Referral letter containing clinical history
- Decline letter from Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora
Note: Referrals can be sent to referrals@sch.nz or submitted online through ERMS.
Our services operate on the basis of goodwill and the flexibility of volunteer staff. It is expected that referrers work with the trust to provide the best outcomes for our patients. Southern Charity Hospital is a day stay charitable facility; we do not have overnight care facilities on site.
Our service availability fluctuates depending on the number of volunteer staff available at a given time. We are closed over the Christmas holiday period, weekends and public holidays.
Information for Health Professionals
Carpal tunnel decompression – NEW
Referral form
Referral and Declaration Form
Patient criteria
Any patient you refer must meet our criteria and the patient referral declaration form is your guide to determining eligibility. The patient must meet both clinical and financial requirements of the Trust. If your patient fits our criteria then we would be pleased to offer them FREE treatment at our facility.
Eligibility Criteria (Patient Selection) for Carpal Tunnel Decompression – Day Surgery
- Diagnosis: Patients with clinically diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome, including symptoms such as:
- Numbness or tingling in the median nerve distribution
- Night pain or paresthesia
- Hand weakness or reduced grip strength
- Functional impairment affecting daily activities
- Nerve conduction studies may be included if available but are not mandatory where clinical diagnosis is clear.
- Suitable Patients: Patients appropriate for day stay surgery, including:
- ASA Physical Status I or II
- Stable medical conditions
- Able to tolerate local anesthetic with or without light sedation where applicable
- Able to understand the procedure and provide informed consent
- Has transport home and support available after surgery if required.
- Exclusions: Patients may be unsuitable for the charitable day stay pathway if they have:
- Significant uncontrolled co-morbidities
- Complex neurological or upper limb conditions requiring tertiary assessment
- Requirement for inpatient monitoring postoperatively
- Inability to provide informed consent
- No safe discharge arrangements
- Bilateral procedures may be considered only at surgeon discretion and where safe postoperative support is available.
Documents required for referral
- Referral and Declaration Form
- Referral letter containing clinical history
- Decline letter from Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora
Note: Referrals can be sent to referrals@sch.nz or submitted online through ERMS.
Our services operate on the basis of goodwill and the flexibility of volunteer staff. It is expected that referrers work with the trust to provide the best outcomes for our patients. Southern Charity Hospital is a day stay charitable facility; we do not have overnight care facilities on site.
Our service availability fluctuates depending on the number of volunteer staff available at a given time. We are closed over the Christmas holiday period, weekends and public holidays.
Information for Health Professionals
Dentistry
Referral forms
Dental Referral and Declaration Form
Dental OHIP Questionnaire
Note: The Southern Charity Hospital provides the following dental procedures: fillings/restorations, simple extractions, root canals (front six teeth only).
Patient criteria
Any patient you refer must meet our criteria and the patient referral declaration form is your guide to determining eligibility. The patient must be 18 years of age or older and meet both clinical and financial requirements of the Trust. If your patient receives a WINZ benefit, they will need to have exhausted their Dental Entitlement for the year to be eligible for treatment
at the Southern Charity Hospital. If your patient fits our criteria then we would be pleased to offer them FREE treatment at our facility.
Documents required for referral
- Dental Referral and Declaration Form
- Dental OHIP Questionnaire
- Referral letter containing clinical history and X-rays/photos if available.
Note: Referrals can be sent to referrals@sch.nz or submitted online through ERMS.
Our services operate on the basis of goodwill and the flexibility of volunteer staff. It is expected that referrers work with the trust to provide the best outcomes for our patients. Southern Charity Hospital is a day stay charitable facility; we do not have overnight care facilities on site.
Our service availability fluctuates depending on the number of volunteer staff available at a given time. We are closed over the Christmas holiday period, weekends and public holidays.