Referral to AMAC

If you are definitely pregnant and want to be assessed for an abortion, the law requires you to be referred by a doctor. If the doctor refers you to AMAC, he/she will send your information directly to us, and will give you a referral letter. The details below should help you know what to expect during your visit to the doctor.

Print & fold brochure: AMAC Ltd Referral & Post-treatment Check-up Services (25K)

 

The referral doctor

The referral doctor may be your own GP, an agency such as Family Planning or Sexual health, or our Practice Doctor at AMAC.

The doctor who makes the abortion referral is the doctor who, in most cases, will take care of you after your discharge from the clinic, so seeing your own family doctor means he/she knows you and your past medical and social history. The doctor will discuss the options you have when facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy and may suggest decision counselling before referring you.

Referral by AMAC Practice Doctor

If you are not registered with a General Practitioner, or are having difficulty finding an external referring agency, an appointment can be made for you to see our Practice Doctor at AMAC. At this appointment, our Doctor will discuss the options available to you and arrange all the necessary tests.

If you wish to proceed with an abortion, it cannot take place the same day. However, we will ensure a timely appointment is offered to you if you wish to use our services, or refer externally if required.

Should you proceed with the abortion, the Practice Doctor will also want to see you 10-14 days after the procedure for a post treatment check-up. This return appointment will be booked before you leave AMAC.

Referral fees:

 

Referral requirements

AMAC will need to receive from your referring doctor:

First antenatal blood screen

The referral doctor will either take blood samples or send you to a near by laboratory to have the tests. These blood tests will determine:

The rest of the blood test results will inform our doctor of your general state of health before proceeding.

Swab tests

These test results are required before you operation can take place. The referring doctor will take three: a cervical, a vaginal and a chlamydia test, in order to ensure there are no infections present that could lead to complications after the procedure. A cervical smear (PAP test) is not a requirement of the clinic but it is an ideal opportunity for the doctor to take it if one is due.

Letter of referral

This letter is required before the abortion can take place. Your referring doctor will give you a letter of introduction to our consultants that will include any relevant medical, social history and the reason for your abortion request.

Once your scan result is available to your referring doctor, he/she will arrange an appointment on your behalf. If you wish or are directed by your doctor to make your own appointment please have the scan report in front of you before calling AMAC.

Choice of method

It is helpful if you have considered which method of abortion you believe is most suitable for you and have discussed the pro’s and cons of Medical and Surgical abortion with your referring doctor before your appointment is made, as the two methods are procedurally quite different and carried out on different days. If you change your mind about the method on the scheduled appointment day we would of course resects your decision but it would be unlikely that your procedure could be carried out that same day and a new appointment would have to be scheduled.

Support person

It is of extreme benefit to you to have a partner, parent or friend who you can trust and who is able to support you and talk with you about your abortion. We strongly advise young teenage women living at home to confide in their parents wherever possible and where not, to find another adult in the family who they can trust and confide in. Trying to deal with a life event such as this without support can be a difficult and lonely prospect for any women and particularly more so for young women. As well as emotional assistance your support person can help with the practicalities such as transportation to and from your appointment and to provide domestic help and childcare following your abortion. See further information for your support person.

English as a second language

It is very important that you are able to communicate sufficiently well with our doctors and nurses to ensure that you receive safe and consented care. If your English language skills are insufficient to understand basic medical terminology

You will need to bring an independent interpreter who is fluent in your own language and written and spoken English. Family members, partners or father of the pregnancy are not deemed as independent by our consultants, they require someone to interpret who has no influence on the request and decision to proceed to abortion. There are many official interpreting services available in Auckland, contact numbers can be provided by AMAC.

Post treatment check-up

We strongly advise the need for a post treatment check-up.

Patients returning to AMAC for a follow up can make an appointment at reception before leaving on the day of the procedure (or later by telephone). Results of the check-up will be sent to the original referring doctor or agency. The fee for the post treatment check-up at AMAC is $45.00.

Patients who have been referred by an external doctor or agency are encouraged to return to the same doctor in 10-14 days time for a post treatment check-up. For non-residents or travellers unable to attend a post treatment check-up at AMAC, a discharge letter will be provided for you to take to another Doctor. The cost for this is the responsibility of the patient. (Download print and fold brochure - 25K)

Further help

If you are having any problems in accessing any of the referral requirements please contact AMAC promptly and we will be happy to advise and assist you.

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