News & updates
Please find our most recent news and updates below. Use the dropdown at the top of the list to filter it to a specific type of update.
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Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa, the Medical Council of New Zealand (Council), today released the names of the four elected candidates to join Council governance.
We are reviewing our statement on A doctor’s duty to help in a medical emergency and would value your feedback.
We've updated our advice for doctors when using technology to deliver health care services to ensure safe and effective care for patients.
We're further extending the expiry date of our COVID-19 Pandemic scope of practice out to 31 March 2022 at the request of the Director-General of Health.
Council has confirmed the continued leadership of Chair, Dr Curtis Walker, and Deputy Chair, Ms Susan Hughes QC, during their first meeting of 2021.
A stronger focus on the wellbeing and future care of patients sits at the centre of Council’s amended guidance for doctors on ending professional relationships with their patients.
Ki te kotahi te kākaho, ka whati. Ki te kāpuia, e kore te whati. A lot has happened since our last Medical Council News, with the formation of a new Government, new ministers of health, the End of Life Choice ‘yes’ vote and more.
Public safety is the top priority for the Medical Council of New Zealand, following the recent referendum approving the introduction of assisted dying in New Zealand.
In this edition our Chief Executive discusses our new Statement of Unprofessional Behaviour, released today, and we acknowledge the commitment, hard work and dedication of medical professionals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 standard once we finish this review.
The Medical Council of New Zealand, in partnership with Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA), has released an independent research report outlining findings on the current state of cultural safety and health equity delivered by doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand.
As this newsletter was being finalised, our nation has just learned of the new cases of COVID-19 in the community and the need to re-enter higher levels of lockdown. We have had two new Council members appointed and also in this newsletter are the outcome of two Health Practitioner Disciplinary Tribunal (Tribunal) decisions, which we are required to publish in accordance with the Tribunal’s orders.
On 19 March 2020 we activated a special purpose scope of practice - the COVID-19 Pandemic scope of practice. Today we are extending the expiry date of this scope out to 31 March 2021.
Thank you for considering the Medical Council of New Zealand’s (Council) recent consultation on the proposed increases to the 2020/2021 practising certificate (PC) Fee and disciplinary levy, and to the many individuals and organisations who made submissions.
The Medical Council congratulates all those recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours, paying particular tribute to medical professionals who have been acknowledged.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the extraordinary demands on medical staff combined with tight overseas travel restrictions, the Medical Council of New Zealand, together with the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC), has decided to postpone this year’s ANZPMEF to 2021.
The Medical Council thanks all doctors for the essential services you are providing to help Aotearoa New Zealand through the COVID-19 pandemic.
This COVID-19 update was sent to all PGY1 and PGY2 doctors by Council's CE Joan Simeon on 1 April 2020.
Council recognises that we need to be flexible in our approach around a range of issues. We understand that there is a lot of concern within colleges, recertification providers and members of the profession about the need to meet recertification requirements. Therefore Council has made some decisions related to this to provide clarity to you and to the profession
Council's Chair, Dr Curtis Walker, sent the email below to all practising doctors on 26 March 2020. This was a follow-up to the previous update on 25 March and provided additional clarification around prescribing and telehealth.
The Medical Council recognises the vital role that doctors have in the COVID-19 pandemic. With the escalation to COVID-19 alert level 4, Council has received many enquiries on a number of issues. We outline these issues and our advice for doctors in this update.
The COVID-19 Pandemic scope of practice is intended to be used for disasters or pandemics. The decision to activate this scope was made with the Ministry of Health to assure the protection of the public and to assist with the COVID-19 response where we can.
In this special edition of Medical Council News there is an important message from the Ministry of Health around COVID-19. We also offer guidance for doctors for doctors working with potential COVID-19 patients, talk about our new "Naming Policy", and discuss the process we follow when we're notified of conduct or competence concerns.
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a Public Health Emergency. On this page you can read more about doctors roles and responsibilities in times of an emergency situation such as a pandemic.
The Medical Council of New Zealand is excited to be hosting the Australian and New Zealand Prevocational Medical Education Forum in Auckland in October 2020. The call for abstracts is now open!
We’re pleased to announce the release of our Statement on cultural safety and its associated resource He Ara Hauora Māori: A Pathway to Māori Health Equity.
We have strengthened our continued competence and continuing professional development requirements for vocationally registered doctors with a focus on reflection, quality assurance and quality improvement.
The Medical Council has decided to put in place extra protections at the next Medical Council of New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) following the outbreak of coronavirus. NZREX brings people together from all over the world. These protections are necessary to ensure the health and wellbeing of all the people we work with to run this examination.
In this final Medical Council News for 2019 we reflect on the events of this year and look ahead to the significant legislative changes that are on the horizon in 2020.
The Medical Council of New Zealand Chair, Dr Curtis Walker, said today that imposing closely monitored strict conditions on the practice of the doctor who was found to have performed unjustified clinical examinations on a number of woman patient’s breasts was entirely appropriate and necessary.
This article celebrates Te wiki o te reo Māori and profiles the Medical Council’s chair, Dr Curtis Walker.
The Council would like to thank New Zealand Doctor magazine for granting permission to republish it online.
The Council would like to thank New Zealand Doctor magazine for granting permission to republish it online.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (The Tribunal) has asked us to publish a summary of its recent decisions. You can access the full decision on their website at the links provided.