News & updates
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The Medical Council of New Zealand (the Medical Council) welcomes the Government’s review of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) and the opportunity to respond to the consultation document Putting Patients First: Modernising Health Workforce Regulation.
Did you know over 70% of doctors registered in the past year were trained overseas — bringing skills from 63 countries to Aotearoa. But to truly strengthen our health system, it’s not just about recruitment — it’s about supporting doctors to stay.
Media Release | Medical Council to regulate the Physician Associate profession
In this issue we discuss key initiatives to support our growing workforce, navigating change, the challenges of consulting overseas doctors, and introduce our new informed consent video.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | the Medical Council of New Zealand (the Council) is considering making changes to the advanced life support (ACLS) requirement for interns in the Provisional General scope of practice (postgraduate year 1, or PGY1) interns.
We are pleased to announce that we are increasing capacity to sit the NZREX Clinical across 2025, and plan to be able to examine up to 180 candidates over the course of 2025.
Over coming weeks, we will be scheduling additional NZREX clinical examinations, to facilitate IMGs, who do not meet requirements for other pathways, an opportunity to gain eligibility for registration. To inform decisions on the number and timing of examinations, we are collecting information to understand the potential number of eligible doctors waiting to sit the NZREX clinical exam.
Council is proposing to extend the provisional vocational assessment period from 18 to 24 months. This will enable a specific cohort of specialist IMGs who may not otherwise meet the standard, to gain provisional vocational registration and complete discrete training to address identified deficiencies in their qualifications, training and experience.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand is committed to meeting Aotearoa New Zealand's healthcare demands by enabling highly qualified international and locally trained doctors to join the workforce through flexible and efficient registration pathways.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand is pleased to release the findings from the New Zealand Medical Workforce in 2024 Survey findings. A comprehensive report that delves deep into the dynamics of doctors working in Aotearoa.
Council is pleased to announce that from 1 November 2024, international medical graduates (IMGs) with an approved postgraduate medical qualification, intending to practise in Aotearoa New Zealand in an approved area of medicine, can apply for specialist registration via a new fast-track registration pathway.
In this issue of MC News, we discuss the revised statement on Treating yourself and those close to you and release the 2024 workforce survey. We also welcome our new Pouroki | Registrar, Christine Anderson. Provide the latest published Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal outcome. Share our Toitū carbonreduce certification.
Council is pleased to publish its revised statement on Treating yourself and those close to you (previously Providing care to yourself and those close to you), in effect from 14 October 2024.
In this issue of MC News, we discuss the health of doctors, regulation in the era of Artificial Intelligence and medical clinic advertising and use of Google Reviews. Other key items include: A recent Coroner report on prescribing practices, a workforce data update and a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal outcome.
Council is proud to have been one of the seven responsible authorities (RAs) that worked together to develop the Principles for Quality and Safe Prescribing Practice. Development of the Principles was a result of collaboration and partnership among RAs.
In this issue we discuss the Medical Councils response to the Report of the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, we welcome two new members to Council, and provide feedback on Council's recent annual meeting with medical colleges and key stakeholders.
Medical Council Chair Dr Rachelle Love responds to the final report from the Abuse in State Care Royal Commission Inquiry.
The Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora is currently seeking nominations for health practitioner candidates to be considered for the New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal - Taraipuinara Whakatika Kaimahi Hauora (the Tribunal).
The Medical Council of New Zealand has two new members. The Hon Matt Doocey, Associate Minister of Health, made the appointments, which are effective from 1 July 2024 for a three-year term. The Minister also reappointed two current members for further terms. These four appointments follow the election by the profession, earlier this year.
Council is considering prescribing a new qualification (registration pathway) for specialist IMGs. This new qualification will provide for an expedited pathway for specialist registration in the Provisional Vocational scope of practice.
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish the updated statement once we finish this review.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) recently held an election to select four medical practitioner nominees and can now announce the results of this election.
The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with the World Health Organization in a ceremony in Geneva.
Te Kōwhiringa o Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa 2024 | The Medical Council of New Zealand election 2024
Council elections are about building a strong Council that the public, government and medical profession can have confidence in. The opportunity to cast your vote for the election of four medical members to join the governance of the Medical Council is available starting Tuesday, 20 February 2024.
At its first meeting for 2024, Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand elected Dr Rachelle Love as its new Chair and re-elected Mr Simon Watt as Deputy Chair.
Nominations have now opened for the next election of medical members onto the Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa |Medical Council of New Zealand (Council).
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand is pleased to release the findings from the New Zealand Medical Workforce in 2023 Survey. This report presents a detailed picture of the current state of the medical profession, highlighting shifts in demographics, practice locations, and emerging trends that are reshaping the medical workforce.
We're pleased to announce the launch of our new data dashboard, now available on our website. This dashboard provides a comprehensive and dynamic overview of registered and practising doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish the updated statement once we finish this review.
We've added videos to help guide patients and other health consumers explaining how to make a notification, and the process that we follow when a notification is made
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health is the agency responsible for the proposal and consultation on the regulation of physician associates under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. The Medical Council made a submission during the Ministry’s consultation on the proposal in December 2023 (as did a number of other organisations) and is awaiting the Ministry’s release of the outcome. The Medical Council cannot advise on when this information will be released by the Ministry.
Led by the Pharmacy Council and the Medical Council, seven responsible authorities (regulators of health professions) have developed a joint statement for safe and quality prescribing. The aim is to create a set of high-level principles that apply to all authorised prescribers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish the updated statement once we finish this review.
We are now accepting applications via the new United Kingdom General Registrants pathway and the amended Examinations pathway.
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish the updated statement once we finish this review.
We are pleased to share with you Te Mahere Rautaki, Council's strategic plan, for 2022-2027. This plan outlines our key strategic priorities, outcomes, and the steps we will take to achieve them.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) approved the final version of the Doctors and health-related commercial organisations statement at its meeting in February 2023.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (the Council) invites proposals from suitable providers to deliver the full examination management and oversight of the NZREX Clinical.
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | The Medical Council of New Zealand today released the results of its New Zealand Medical Workforce in 2022 survey.
Council’s Chair, Dr Curtis Walker, says “key findings show that while Māori and Pasifika doctors are increasing, there is still much more work to do to achieve a more proportional workforce. Māori and Pasifika remain noticeably under-represented compared to their proportion of the population.”
Council’s Chair, Dr Curtis Walker, says “key findings show that while Māori and Pasifika doctors are increasing, there is still much more work to do to achieve a more proportional workforce. Māori and Pasifika remain noticeably under-represented compared to their proportion of the population.”
The Minister of Health has announced two new initiatives targeted at overseas doctors who have passed their New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) examination in the last five years, allowing them to apply for roles in New Zealand that will lead to full registration as a doctor.