Cabinet material: Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003: Policy Approval for Amendments

This Cabinet material sets out decisions on proposals to amend the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Cabinet has agreed to changes that are designed to ensure health workforce regulation aligns with patient needs, health system priorities, and the Government’s health targets.

Titles of Cabinet paper:

• Policy approval for amendments to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

Titles of minutes:

• Report of the Cabinet Social Outcomes Committee: Period Ending 25 August 2025 (CAB-MIN-0288)
• Minute of Decision: Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003: Policy Approval for Amendments (SOU-25-MIN-0116).

Some parts of this information release would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Where this is the case, the relevant sections of the Act that would apply have been identified. Where information has been withheld, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.

Key to redaction codes:

• Out of scope
• S 6(a) where its release would likely prejudice the international relations of the Government of New Zealand.
• S 9(2)(ba)(i) where its release would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied;
• S 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
• S 9(2)(b)(i) where its release would disclose a trade secret.
• S 9(2)(b)(ii) where its release would likely unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied the information.
• S 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain the constitutional conventions that protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials.
• S 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers and officers and employees of any public service agency.
• S 9(2)(h) to maintain legal professional privilege.
• S 9(2)(j) to enable a Minister or any public service agency to carry on negotiations without prejudice or disadvantage (including commercial and industrial negotiations).