Independent review confirms Medical Council’s strong performance

The 2026 independent performance review of the Medical Council found that Council has fully achieved all the core performance functions assessed.

This is an excellent result for Council. It provides independent assurance that our work to protect the public meets the standards expected of a responsible authority regulating a health profession.
The review highlighted as strengths Council’s proactive, risk-based approach to regulation, with protection of the public as its primary purpose. The following key three areas of work were highlighted in the review report:

1.    Consumer input and transparency.
2.    Contributing to a sustainable medical workforce.
3.    Collaboration and relationships with others in the health sector.

Carried out by BSI New Zealand, the review assessed Council against the core performance standards for responsible authorities. It reviewed registration policies and processes, accreditation and monitoring of education and training, how the Council manages competence and conduct notifications about doctors, setting standards of clinical competence, cultural competence and ethical conduct for the medical profession, collaboration with other regulators, and Council’s wider statutory responsibilities.

Independent performance reviews are required under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. They assess how responsible authorities carry out their statutory functions. Authorities must publish their review reports on their websites.

Read the full Medical Council performance review