Confidence in your health practitioner The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 Health Regulatory Authorities of New Zealand Date of publication: September 2004 The main purpose of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 is to protect the health and safety of the public. It seeks to ensure that the treatment and healthcare you receive from a registered health practitioner is of a high standard. This leaflet tells you how the Act benefits you.

The Act covers all registered health practitioners and replaces a number of separate, outdated laws. The Act looks after your health and safety in the following ways:

• It ensures health practitioners are properly trained and qualified before they can be registered

• It requires health practitioners to continually update and improve their skills

• It establishes independent registering authorities to register and monitor health practitioners

• It establishes an independent Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

What does the Act cover?

The Act covers all registered health practitioners in New Zealand, including:

• chiropractors
• dentists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental therapists and dental hygienists
• dietitians
• dispensing opticians
• medical laboratory scientists and technicians
• medical practitioners (such as doctors, psychiatrists, surgeons and other specialists)
• medical radiation technologists
• midwives
• nurses
• occupational therapists
• optometrists
• osteopaths
• pharmacists
• physiotherapists
• podiatrists
• psychologists.
  

In the future, other health practitioners may also come under the Act.


How are you protected?

Under the Act, each practitioner is answerable to an independent registering authority.

Registering authorities ensure that health practitioners:

• are registered in a ‘scope of practice’ which describes the health services they can provide

• have the right qualifications for their scope of practice

• have a current practising certificate (license) which has to be renewed each year

• maintain and develop their skills and competence

• have good English language and communication skills

• are physically and mentally able to work.

Each registering authority maintains a register or list of health practitioners that is available to the public.

In many cases you can find and look at a register on the Internet.


Monitoring health practitioners

Registering authorities set the standards that all health practitioners must meet. If a registering authority has concerns over the quality and standard of treatment a practitioner provides, it may take steps to protect the public. For example, it may require a practitioner to undertake some further training, practise under the supervision of another practitioner or limit the kind of services he or she can provide.


What if something goes wrong?

The independent Health and Disability Commissioner promotes and protects the rights of consumers of health services and receives all complaints against health practitioners. If you have a complaint about a health practitioner you should contact the Commissioner's office on 0800 11 22 33 or www.hdc.org.nz.

The Act creates a separate Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. The Tribunal considers serious disciplinary matters and can impose penalties ranging from fining the practitioner, ordering that the practitioner practise only under certain conditions (for example under supervision), to suspension or cancellation of registration.

You may also want to talk to the practitioner's registering authority about your concerns. Web addresses and phone numbers for each authority are listed on the back of this pamphlet.

---

The Health Regulatory Authorities of New Zealand (HRANZ) is an informal group made up of the 15 registering authorities listed below. HRANZ oversees and manages matters of common interest.

This leaflet has been produced by HRANZ with the support of the Ministry of Health.

---

Registering Authority Contact Details

Chiropractic Board
Ph 04 474 0703
www.chiropracticboard.org.nz

Dental Council
Ph 04 499 4820
www.dcnz.org.nz

Dietitians Board
Ph 04 474 0746
www.dietitiansboard.org.nz

Medical Council of New Zealand
Ph 04 384 7635
www.mcnz.org.nz

Medical Laboratory Science Board
Ph 04 474 0701
www.mlsboard.org.nz

Medical Radiation Technologists Board
Ph 04 474 0745
www.mrtboard.org.nz

Midwifery Council
Ph 04 474 0740
www.midwiferycouncil.org.nz

Nursing Council of New Zealand
Ph 04 385 9589
www.nursingcouncil.org.nz

Occupational Therapy Board
Ph 04 474 0708
Ph 04 474 0709
www.otboard.org.nz

Osteopathic Council
Ph 04 474 0747
www.osteopathiccouncil.org.nz

Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board
Ph 04 474 0705
www.optometristsboard.org.nz
www.dispensingopticiansboard.org.nz

Pharmacy Council
Ph 04 495 0330
www.pharmacycouncil.org.nz

Physiotherapy Board
Ph 04 471 2610
www.physioboard.org.nz

Podiatrists Board
Ph 04 499 7979
www.podiatristsboard.org.nz

Psychologists Board
Ph 04 474 0744
www.psychologistsboard.org.nz

---

Document availability

This publication is available in hard copy. To order a copy email moh@wickliffe.co.nz or call 04 496 2277. Please let us know your name, your physical address and how many copies you would like.

You can also download the leaflet below in PDF format.

Confidence in your health practitioner (PDF, 1.66MB)

Go to information about ordering and downloading publications

Read our copyright information

---

Related information

More information about the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act


Page last updated 19 October 2004