Home visit service

Funded home visits are only approved for:

• Patients who are bedridden and unable to attend a collection centre due to medical reasons, or
• Special medical cases, where detailed clinical justification is provided.

No. Limited transport options, advanced age, or general mobility challenges do not meet the eligibility criteria. We recognise that such factors may make attending a collection centre more difficult, but unfortunately, they are not sufficient for funded home visit approval under the current Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora agreement.

Not by default. All Awanui collection centres are wheelchair accessible. Patients who use wheelchairs but are otherwise mobile or able to leave home with assistance are expected to attend a collection centre.

If a patient can attend:

• Hospital outpatient appointments,
• Day stay units, or
• GP consultations in person (without ambulance transport)

they do not automatically qualify for a home visit.

Not automatically. Home visits may be appropriate for most residents receiving care in an ARC facility. However, most retirement village residents would likely not meet the criteria. For patients in Aged Residential Care, please specify the level of care.

Not automatically. Disabilities, intellectual impairments, do not in themselves qualify a patient for a home visit. If the patient is medically unable to leave home, a request may be submitted with detailed clinical justification for review by a pathologist. We encourage you to contact the Home Visit Administration Team if you believe a specific case warrants further assessment.

A general statement of social discomfort or anxiety is not sufficient for home visit eligibility. However, if a patient has a formally diagnosed condition—such as severe social anxiety disorder or agoraphobia—confirmed by a psychiatrist, and this condition significantly impairs their ability to attend a collection centre, the request can be submitted with clear information detailing their condition for the pathologist’s review. If the clinical details are of a sensitive nature and you do not wish to disclose this on the form, please contact the home visits team (contact details below) and they will put you through to the pathologist to seek approval.

Patients currently undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatments do not automatically qualify for home visits. Many oncology patients are still able to attend outpatient clinics and are therefore expected to visit a collection centre unless they are medically unable to do so. However, we understand the need to protect immunocompromised individuals, and we will make every effort to:

• Prioritise their visit on arrival
• Offer seating away from others when possible, and
• Minimise wait times.

If you believe a patient’s treatment has left them genuinely housebound, please provide detailed clinical justification for review.

Home visits are funded under specific criteria within the Community Pathology Services Agreement. To ensure this limited service remains available to patients with the greatest clinical need, all requests are reviewed carefully and must align with Health NZ’s funding guidelines.

Home visit eligibility is reviewed regularly to ensure alignment with the funding criteria set by Health NZ. A patient may have previously qualified due to a temporary condition, post-operative recovery, or other clinical circumstances that have since changed. If a patient’s mobility or health has improved, or if their previous condition is no longer considered medically limiting, they may no longer meet the criteria for a funded home visit.

Additionally, we acknowledge that in the past, some requests may have been approved in error due to system limitations. We have since improved our processes to ensure more consistent assessment and to better identify when patients no longer meet eligibility.

If you believe the patient still qualifies based on updated clinical information, please submit a new request with supporting justification or contact the Home Visit Administration Team for clarification.

No. Only the referring practitioner or their authorised representative (e.g., senior nurse) may request or modify home visit bookings.

Please include:

• Detailed clinical justification for the home visit
• NHI number and full patient details
• Test(s) required and urgency
• Fasting/medication instructions if relevant
• Referrer contact information

Incomplete requests or those lacking justification will be processed as collection centre referrals.

You may still submit the request with detailed clinical notes for review. These cases will be assessed by a pathologist, who will make the final decision regarding their eligibility. If you are concerned, this can be discussed with a pathologist directly ahead of submitting the form.

You will receive one of the following PMS inbox notes:

If the request was sent via eOrder and the referral lacks sufficient clinical details:
“We have received a referral for your patient; however, it does not appear to meet the eligibility criteria for Home Visits, or the clinical details provided are insufficient. The referral has been processed as a Collection Centre request. If this information is incorrect, please contact SIHomevisits@awanuilabs.co.nz”

If the request was sent via eOrder and the patient has been assessed as no longer eligible (e.g., found to be mobile during a visit):
“We have reason to believe that your patient may no longer meet the eligibility criteria for Home Visits and has been removed from this service. If Home Visits are still required, please arrange a follow-up consultation and submit a new request with the necessary clinical details.”

If the request was emailed, you will receive a response directly from the Home Visit Admin Team outlining the reason for the decline or requesting further information.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a particular case, please contact our Home Visit Administration Team: SIHomevisits@awanuilabs.co.nz