The New Zealand health and disability sector is an inherently close community where specialist knowledge is in high demand from public and private entities. Conflicts of interest are an inevitable result.
To address conflicts of interest in the health and disability sector, the Ministry of Health has developed the Conflicts of Interest Guidelines for District Health Boards. These guidelines are aimed specifically at district health board members.
They are a resource to help board members maintain public confidence and integrity in the health sector, in those circumstances where conflicts of interest may exist and need to be managed appropriately. The guidelines discuss members’ interests and conflicts and how to manage these under the provisions set out in the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.