Assisted Dying Service feedback and complaints process

How to provide feedback or make a complaint about the Assisted Dying Service.

You can provide feedback or make a complaint about your, or someone else’s experience when using the assisted dying service.

Sharing feedback

We want to understand what this process has been like for you and your whānau. Your feedback will help us make the service better for other people.

Feedback is welcomed from anyone who has had any contact with the assisted dying service.

You can provide feedback by emailing [email protected] or by printing our feedback form (PDF, 1.2 MB) and sending it by free post to:

Regulation and Monitoring
Manatū Hauora – Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013, Wellington 6145

Making a complaint

You can make a complaint about your or someone else’s experience when using the assisted dying service. You can make a complaint to the Secretariat at Manatū Hauora or to Te Whatu Ora.  

If you feel comfortable to do so, you are encouraged to first raise your concerns directly with the medical or nurse practitioner providing assisted dying services.  It is best if you can do this as soon as possible after you become unhappy with your, or someone else’s, care.

Making a complaint to the Secretariat

If this does not resolve your complaint, or you do not want to raise your concerns directly, you can contact the Assisted Dying Secretariat or Te Whatu Ora.

. You can make a complaint to the Secretariat by:

  • Emailing [email protected]. When emailing, please provide an outline of the complaint and a contact phone number.
  • filling in the online complaints form. You do not need to register or log-in to make a complaint.

The Secretariat will let you know when your complaint has been received and may ask for further details to help resolve it.  

Your complaint will be considered by the Registrar (assisted dying) or the Manager for Regulatory Assurance. Who considers your complaint depends on what it is about.   

The Registrar (assisted dying) is responsible for overseeing all complaints about the Assisted Dying Service. The Registrar may refer your complaint to Te Whatu Ora, if it relates to an operational matter. The Registrar may also refer your complaint to an appropriate authority should that be required. This may include Medical and Nursing Councils, the Health and Disability Commissioner, or the New Zealand Police.

You will be contacted with the outcome once your complaint has been considered (and referred, if required).  

To make a complaint to Te Whatu Ora, please visit Assisted Dying Service complaints process on their website.

The Health and Disability Commissioner

People choosing to receive assisted dying services are protected by the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights and can complain to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) if they feel they have not received quality care or that their rights have been breached. 

Please note, the law (the End of Life Choice Act 2019) changes some rights in the Code in key areas. These include how information about assisted dying should be provided and people’s ability to make decisions about their care. 

For more information, visit the HDC website.

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