Medical registration  and scopes of
practice

In New Zealand , doctors do not have a particular type of registration. Instead they are registered within one or more scopes of practice.

A scope of practice is defined in legislation as the professional service that the doctor is permitted to perform.

Council has broadly defined three scopes of practice:

• general
• vocational and
• special purpose scopes.

In addition there will be both a:

• provisional general scope, and a
• provisional vocational scope.

General scope of practice

A doctor who has completed the requirements of a provisional general scope will be registered within a general scope of practice.

Examples are junior doctors who have completed their first post-graduate year and may be in vocational training, doctors who have not started, or have chosen not to do, vocational training or doctors nearing retirement who are no longer meeting the requirements for registration within a vocational scope of practice.

The doctor must establish a professional collegial relationship with another doctor who is registered within the same or related vocational scope, and must participate in appropriate continuing professional development to maintain and improve competence and to be recertified each year.

Vocational scope
of practice

A doctor who has completed his or her vocational training as a consultant and has appropriate qualifications and experience can be registered within a vocational scope of practice. These vocational scopes are recognised by Council.

A doctor registered in a vocational scope must participate in an approved continuing professional development programme to maintain competence and be recertified each year.

Provisional general scope

All new registrants, regardless of seniority, must work under supervision for at least their first 12 months in New Zealand to become familiar with the culture.

During this time they are registered within a provisional general scope of practice and their performance will be assessed by senior colleagues.

They will be required to complete certain requirements to be registered within a general scope.

The only exception to this supervised period is for New Zealand and Australian graduates who have already completed their internship in Australia .

Provisional
vocational scope

Doctors who have completed their vocational training and who are not already registered in New Zealand must work under supervision for at least 12 months. They are registered within a provisional vocational scope of practice.

During this time they must complete Council’s requirements for registration in a vocational scope. Those requirements may include working in a formal assessment position and/or passing an examination.

Special purpose
scope

A doctor who satisfies the registration criteria to visit New Zealand for one of the following defined and specific reasons will be registered within a special purpose scope of practice:

• Teaching as a visiting expert  
• As a locum tenens for up to 6 months
• For post-graduate training and/or experience
• Research
• Assisting in an emergency or other unpredictable, short-term situations
• Assisting in a pandemic or disaster
• Providing teleradiology services to New Zealand patients for up to 12 months 

These doctors will be required to work under supervision for the duration of their employment or appointment.

This ‘special purpose’ scope of practice is not a pathway to permanent registration.

Suspended and Suspended (Int)