The Ministry of Health has opened consultation today on health workforce regulation.
Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown has announced the Government is reviewing New Zealand’s health workforce regulation to ensure the focus is on putting patients first.
Health regulations are the rules that ensure New Zealanders get safe and quality health care when they see health professionals. The current Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 is now over 20 years old.
As part of this review, the Ministry of Health has published a discussion document, Putting Patients First: Modernising health workforce regulation.
The Ministry is now inviting New Zealanders to share their views on health workforce regulation through its online consultation portal. The consultation closes on Wednesday 30 April.
Feedback on the options outlined in the discussion document will inform the Ministry’s advice to the Government on possible changes to health workforce regulation.
The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the Act) is the law that provides a framework for the regulation of health practitioners. Its purpose is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing mechanisms to ensure the ongoing competence of health practitioners.
The Act provides for the regulation of recognised health professions. At present, New Zealand has 18 health regulators, known as responsible authorities.
To help prepare the discussion document, the Ministry looked at international best practice on health workforce regulatory systems and clinical safety, and considered how these models could be adapted to suit New Zealand’s unique needs.
The Ministry also held an initial series of workshops and meetings with key health sector stakeholders in 2024. These included responsible authorities, professional associations, medical colleges and unions. The Ministry will continue to engage with the sector.
