Applying for access to the medical register
You can apply to access the full medical register, but before you apply make sure you know what information the register holds. Whether your application is approved or not depends on what you want to do with the information.
What is the medical register?
The New Zealand medical register is a list of all the registered doctors in New Zealand. It contains information like a doctor’s scope of practice, what qualifications they have, when their practising certificate expires, the district in which they practice, and more.
Can the public see the register?
Yes, anyone can see certain information on the register through our website at:
https://www.mcnz.org.nz/support-for-doctors/list-of-registered-doctors/
Here, the public can search for a specific doctor and see all the publicly available information on that doctor.
Is full register access different from public access?
A little. The information in both versions of the register is largely the same, however there are some differences. The main ones are:
- Full register access includes additional information such as the doctor's Medical Council identifier and the doctor's registered address (see the FAQ item on registered address for more information).
- Approved users get secure access to the whole register, presented in a single file (in CSV format) which you can import into software and other systems.
- The public can only search the register from our website, which displays the information for one doctor at a time.
How do I apply for register access?
Email us at register@mcnz.org.nz and we will send you an application form, as well as information about the format and fields of the register.
Please review this information, and read the other frequently asked questions on this page before applying for access. That way, you can make sure the register data will meet your needs, and you can be confident that we are likely to approve your reason for accessing the register.
If your question is not answered here, please email register@mcnz.org.nz.
Other frequently asked questions
Does the register data include address and other contact information for doctors?
The register includes only doctors' registered addresses, not email addresses or phone numbers. Please note, we will want to know specifically how you propose to use this information.
What is the registered address?
The registered address is an address selected by the doctor. It can be the doctor's postal, residential or work address. Under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA), doctors may choose to make this address confidential. For these doctors, no address information will be available.
Will register access tell me where doctors are working/employed?
No - no employment or practice information for doctors is included as part of the register.
Does register access include doctors' CPN/HPI?
Sometimes. We can provide access to the CPN/HPI to register users who are also "health sector users" within the Ministry of Health's definition. For example, hospitals would be allowed to access the CPN/HPI. Where there is any doubt, we typically confirm with the Ministry of Health.
For more information around the HPI and access to it, please see the Ministry of Health's website.
Ministry of Health - HPI Access FAQ
Is there a cost to access the register?
Yes, there are fees. These help us maintain register information and the secure area of our website where approved users access information.
There are two fees - one for ongoing access to the register (for one year) and a smaller fee for a one-time copy of the register file. You can see details of the fees on the application form.
Are there limitations on how register data can be used and is there a list of approved uses?
Yes, there are limitations on how register data can be used - not all proposed uses will be approved.
We don't have a list of approved uses because we can’t predict all the ways people might want to use the information. Instead, we review all applications to make sure the proposed use is consistent with our purposes under the HPCAA, and the purposes for which the information was collected.
One use that would probably not be approved is for sending correspondence to doctors. This is because doctors tell us that they receive too much unsolicited mail and email already, and we don’t want to add to this.
We are also unlikely to approve using the register to verify a doctor's identity, as the register details are not suitable for this. None of the information contained in the register is so private or personal that it will be known only to the doctor. Therefore it cannot be relied upon for this purpose, as it would potentially expose us and others to the risk of misuse.
Is automated access to the register file available?
No. We do not provide automated access to the file (i.e. through software or an API).
You are able to set up automated access for yourself, but we are unable to provide assistance or advice on how to do this as we don't have the expertise.
Please note: You may not offer automated register access as a service unless we permit it. Doing so is a breach of the terms and conditions of register access.
What information is included with register access?
The information that is included in the register for each doctor is:
- Medical Council identifier
- HPI/CPN*
- Scope of practice
- APC status (Y/N)
- Full name
- Awards
- Provisional registration date (where applicable)
- General registration date (where applicable)
- Current practising certificate start date
- Current certificate end date
- Registered address (see FAQ entry for this)
- Qualifications
- Vocational scope(s) (where applicable)
* For approved health sector organisations
We will give you more technical details when you request an application form.