Our relationships

Working relationships with our key stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do to protect public health and safety.

To achieve this we have Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with District Health Boards and between the Council and the Health and Disability Commissioner.

These MoUs allow us to work in partnership with these organisations and allows for the management of any doctor-related competence, performance, conduct or health issues.

Vocational Education and Advisory Body (VEAB)

Vocational Education and Advisory Bodies (VEABs) offer training, advice and services to the Council on the various branches of medicine, (called vocational scopes) in which specialist doctors work.

Specifically VEABs:

  • advise us on education, training and international equivalence during the registration process for specialist doctors
  • provide programmes of training, education, research, quality and safety policy, audits, practising resources, and advocacy for the recertification programme requirements of specialist doctors.

Specialist doctors must participate in the recertification programme offered by their respective VEAB. Approved VEAB recertification programmes are listed by vocational scope on the Recertification programmes page.

District Health Boards (DHBs)

The objective of the MOU between Council and the 20 DHBs is to enable DHBs and the Council to work together on doctor registration and the management of any doctor-related competence, performance, conduct and health issues.

The MOU contains information relevant to the Council and DHBs regarding the employment of doctors within the service of the DHB. This includes Chief Medical Officers (CMO's), doctors, Council's supervisors, DHB management, medical administration units and HR departments.

The MoU does not provide a definitive legal interpretation of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA).

The parties will use all reasonable endeavours to meet their obligations under this memorandum. The parties will hold each other accountable for their performance under the memorandum.

Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC)

In the interests of patient health and safety, the Council and Health and Disability Commissioner have agreed a notification process for dealing with complaints and concerns related to doctors.

This process is in accordance with the mandatory notification provisions in the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 and the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

  • MoU between Council and HDC

    Agreement between Council and the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) that outlines the notification process for dealing with complaints and concerns related to doctors.

Southern Cross Hospitals

The MoU between Council and Southern Cross Hospitals is intended to clarify our respective roles, responsibilities, objectives and intentions in relation to:

  • the regulation of doctors
  • the credentialing of self-employed doctors to practise in Southern Cross Hospital.

The MoU is not intended to create binding legal obligations, rather it sets out the behaviours that we expect from each other in discharging our respective functions.

  • MoU between Council and Southern Cross

    The MoU between Council and Southern Cross Hospitals is intended to clarify our respective roles, responsibilities, objectives and intentions in relation to the regulation of doctors and the credentialing of self-employed doctors to practise in Southern Cross Hospital.

New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association

The MoU between Council and the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association (NZPSHA) is intended to clarify our respective roles, responsibilities, objectives and intentions in relation to:

  • the regulation of doctors
  • the credentialing of self-employed doctors to practise in participating private surgical hospitals (PPSHs).

The MoU is not intended to create binding legal obligations, rather it sets out the behaviours that we expect from each other in discharging our respective functions.

  • MoU between Council and NZPSHA

    The MoU between Council and the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association (NZPSHA) is intended to clarify our respective roles, responsibilities, objectives and intentions in relation to the regulation of doctors and the credentialing of self-employed doctors to practise in participating private surgical hospitals (PPSHs).