Roles that have a statutory function

Roles within the Ministry with statutory functions include:

• Director-General of Health
• Director of Public Health
• Director of Mental Health
• Director of Addiction Services
• Director for Radiation Safey
• Registrar (assisted dying)

Profiles

Director-General of Health

The Public Service Act 2020 requires each department to have, as its administrative head, a chief executive. The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 states that the chief executive can be referred to as the Director-General.

As chief executive, the Director-General has a wide range of responsibilities set out in the Public Services Act 2020. These include, amongst other things, being responsible to the Minister of Health for the stewardship of:

• the Ministry of Health, including its medium and long-term sustainability, organisational health, capability, and capacity to offer free and frank advice to successive governments;
• assets and liabilities on behalf of the Crown that are used by or relate to the Ministry of Health; and
• legislation administered by the Ministry of Health.

The Director-General of Health also has a large number of functions, duties and powers set out throughout the legislation that the Ministry of Health administers.

The Director-General of Health and Chief Executive is Dr Diana Sarfati.

Director of Public Health

The Director of Public Health is appointed by the Director-General of Health, in accordance with section 3B of the Health Act 1956.

The Director of Public Health has a statutory advisory role to the Director-General on matters of public health, including:

• personal health matters relating to public health; and
• regulatory matters relating to public health.

The Director of Public Health may also, following consultation with the Director General, independently give advice or report on any matter of public health to the Minister.

The Director of Public Health and his or her deputies also have a broader clinical leadership role, including professional oversight and support to medical officers of health (the majority of whom are employed in the National Public Health Service within Health NZ / Te Whatu Ora), as well as advice on public health matters more widely - within the Ministry, to the health sector, to other sectors, and working with international health organisations and Ministries of Health in other countries on international public health threats.

The Director of Public Health is Dr Nicholas Jones.

Director of Mental Health

The Director of Mental Health is appointed by the Director-General of Health, in accordance with section 91 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

The Director of Mental Health has a number of functions, duties and powers conferred or imposed by the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. These include:

• general administration of the Act under the direction of the Minister and the Director-General of Health;
• issuing guidelines on the Act, and standards on the care and treatment of patients; and
• specific provisions with respect to special patients, including the granting of short-term leave.

The Director of Mental Health is Dr John Crawshaw.

Director of Addiction Services

The Director of Addiction Services is appointed by the Director-General of Health, in accordance with section 86 of the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017.

The Director of Addiction Services is responsible for the general administration of the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017, under the direction of the Minister and the Director-General of Health. The Director of Addiction Services also has a number of powers and functions assigned by the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017, including:

• the right to, at any time and without notice, visit any treatment center, and be given access to every part of a treatment centre and every patient in it;
• to appoint Directors of Area Addiction Services in areas that are considered necessary, and determine the terms and conditions on which they are appointed; and
• to designate people as approved providers.

The Director of Addiction Services is Dr John Crawshaw.

Director for Radiation Safety

The Director for Radiation Safety is a role established under section 76 of the Radiation Safety Act 2016 and is appointed by the Minister of Health. This Act, administered by Manatū Hauora | the Ministry of Health, sets up a framework for ionising radiation safety and enables New Zealand to meet international obligations relating to issues such as nuclear non-proliferation.

The Director for Radiation Safety has a number of functions, duties, and powers conferred or imposed by the Act, including:

• maintain a register of controlled sources such as X-ray machines and nuclear material;
• grant authorisations such as licences and import and export consents for radioactive materials covered by the Act;
• issue codes of practice;
• appoint enforcement officers;
• ensure a national radiological emergency response plan is in place.

 The Director for Radiation Safety is Dr Andreas Markwitz. 

Registrar (assisted dying)

The Registrar (assisted dying) is appointed by the Director-General of Health, in accordance with section 27 (1) of the End of Life Choice Act 2019.

The Registrar (assisted dying) has a number of functions, duties and powers conferred or imposed by the End of Life Choice Act 2019. These include:

•  Determining compliance with the processes of the Act prior to the release of medication for assisted dying.
• ·Establishing and maintaining a register of forms, Review Committee reports and Registrar’s reports to the Minister of Health
• ·Managing complaints about the conduct of health practitioners under this Act
• ·Working with the two statutory bodies the Support and Consultation for End of Life in New Zealand Group (SCENZ) and Review Committee as required by the Act

The Registrar (assisted dying) also has a broader clinical and professional leadership role, including support to Principal Clinical Advisors in the assisted dying service, health practitioners providing the assisted dying service and the assisted dying secretariat.

The Registrar (assisted dying) is Dr Kristin Good.