POAC RADIOLOGY SERVICES
POAC funding is available to provide access to community-based radiology services to avoid acute hospital referral. This service is for investigations required within 24-48 hours, which will assist in clinical management decision-making.
Non-acute X-Ray and USS that do not meet POAC funding criteria, should continue to be referred using Access to Diagnostics, Hospital Radiology e-Referral, ACC, or Private Funding. This includes Auckland/Waitemata AUB pathway scans.
Refer to the below for full clinical criteria, exclusions and information on how to access services.
POAC Funding Exclusions
ACC:
Injury-related investigations should be arranged under ACC funding in the first instance.
POAC will assist with the coordination of ACC-related DVT ultrasounds. These remain under ACC funded with POAC covering co-payment only.
Acute injury-related x-rays may have the ACC co-payment funded where initiated under the St John pathway, Emergency Q voucher, ARC/hospice for portable MS x-ray of immobile patients to determine if admission is required, hospital initiated requests.
MATERNITY:
All pregnancy-related ultrasounds should be referred under maternity funding. POAC funding is available where >2 weeks post miscarriage/termination or >6 weeks postpartum. See more information under Pelvic USS Policy or Maternity Ultrasound Requests.
ROUTINE INVESTIGATIONS:
Urgent or routine investigations are not funded under POAC and can be accessed by eReferral to DHB, Access to Diagnostics, or private funding/insurance.
Hospital Radiology Contact
Seek radiology advice about the appropriate imaging to help:
manage the patient.
clarify the interpretation of prior imaging.
avoid unnecessary specialist appointments or emergency department referrals.
Phone:
Auckland 027 491 9589 or (09) 307 2800
Counties Manukau (09) 276‑0044 ext. 53462
Waitemata 021 874 664 or (09) 486 8920 ext 42771
Options if practice has no ATD budget left and investigation is indicated
Explore the patient's ability to pay.
If imaging is indicated as part of discharge planning or follow-up from previous abnormal results from the hospital, select the "imaging requested by hospital provider" checkbox on the ATD ProExtra form and proceed with the request. (This will be taken into account when the practice's budget use is reviewed.)
If the imaging is not urgent, put the patient on in-practice waiting list and issue the imaging request the following month.
If imaging is required more urgently and your practice is:
not "hard floored" or "on notice", proceed with the ATD ProExtra request. Explain why the imaging is required more urgently.