In this issue of Medical Council News we acknowledge the contribution and mana of Mr Andrew Connolly, our Chair and leader over the last five years. We also highlight our two new statements on professional and sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship and the Ministry shares guidance around new laws relating to medicinal cannabis.

In the May 2016 issue of Medical Council News we looked at doctors providing care to themselves and those close to them, informed consent, and guidance from the Pharmacy Council on effective prescription writing for safe collaborative patient management.

Version 3 Superseded version 2 of Council's Te Mahere Rautaki Strategic Plan.

This document outlines the adjustments to our existing fees and disciplinary levy effective 1 July 2021, made using an activity-based costing methodology, and following an extensive review process.

We are seeking stakeholder feedback on the Medical Council of New Zealand’s (Council) proposal to gazette changes to its existing fees and disciplinary levy, to be effective from 1 July 2021.

RNZCUC accreditation update status as of 22 March 2024

Update on Counties Manukau's accreditation status as at 14 December 2023

Update on Nelson Marlborough's accreditation status as at 28 March 2024

We will achieve our vision, deliver on our purpose, uphold the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and be a sustainable organisation through our strategic priorities.

Māori experience disparities in outcomes compared to the rest of the population across nearly all areas of health due to inequity in determinants of health, including access to quality health care. This document outlines Council’s position on how doctors can support the achievement of best health outcomes for Māori. It also provides guidance for healthcare organisations to support cultural safety and Māori health equity. This document should be read in conjunction with Council’s Statement on cultural safety.

Malatest Evaluation of the RPR Programme - end of year 2014

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - end of year report for 2016

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - end of year report for 2017

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - end of year report for 2017

This guidance explains what doctors should consider when using artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care. Because AI is increasingly being used in medical practice, it is essential that doctors do so ethically and responsibly, to ensure patient safety and the privacy of health information.

Medical Council of New Zealand: Establishing a Prevocational Training Baseline. A report commissioned by Council and prepared by Malatest International

During the course of a medical career, a doctor may be involved in management or have a leadership role. This statement outlines the standards doctors are expected to meet when they take on such roles. While doctors in a leadership role have a duty to their workplace and the wider community, their first consideration must always be the interests and safety of patients.

V1 Superseded version of Council's Te Mahere Rautaki Strategic Plan.

V2 Superseded version of Council's Te Mahere Rautaki Strategic Plan.

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Te Whatu Ora - Waitemata following site visit on 28 and 29 November 2023

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Counties Manukau DHB following site visit on 27 and 28 August 2019

This policy explains the requirements to be met to allow doctors with vocational registration in Rural Hospital Medicine or General Practice to obtain an authorisation to provide secondary maternity services, in addition to the practice permitted within their vocational scope of practice.

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Nelson Marlborough DHB following site visit on 6 and 7 August 2019

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Counties Manukau DHB following site visit on 13 and 14 June 2024.

The purpose of these principles is to provide a framework for good decision-making about notifications assessed and managed by the Council. The principles are not intended to cover every specific scenario but rather provide guidance in how notifications should be assessed and managed. The framework applies to the decisions of the Notifications Triage Team (NTT) and of Council.

Draft document for consultation. In this document we advise doctors on how they can support the achievement of best health outcomes for Māori. We also provide guidance for healthcare organisations on how to support Māori health equity.

ES1 application form for authorisation to provide secondary maternity services

Maintaining clinical records is part of good medical practice. Clinical notes are an important tool for managing the patient's care, and communicating with other doctors and health professionals. This statement guides doctors on what information they should record, and for how long they should retain patients' records.

This statement outlines the rights and responsibilities of health care workers and infected health care workers in relation to transmissible major viral infections.

This statement acknowledges that health inequities and inequalities continue to exist for Māori, and that there are disparities in the delivery of health care to Māori. It encourages all health organisations to examine their partnership with Māori through genuine engagement, representation and participation.

When applying for registration at the end of your medical training you will have to answer questions relating to your fitness to practise. This guide will help you to figure out what you may need to declare to Council.

Authentic, authoritative and comprehensive references are necessary to ensure that Council can make decisions related to the applicant’s fitness and competence to practise medicine in New Zealand.

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - mid year report for 2016

Malatest Evaluation of the RPR Programme: mid-year 2017

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - mid year report for 2018

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - mid year report for 2015

Summary of the Malatest evaluation of the regular practice review (RPR) programme for 2017.

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - Interim report to November 2014

This form lists the additional information the RACS requires if you're applying for vocational registration in cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology head & neck surgery, paediatric surgery, plastic & reconstructive surgery, urology, and vascular surgery.

Evaluation of Council's RPR programme by Malatest International - end of year report for 2015

This document covers a number of NZREX-related policies including pass criteria, serious concerns and critical incidents, request for resits, feedback, and recount of results.

Update on Taranaki DHB's accreditation status as at 28 March 2024

Update on Whanganui DHB's accreditation status as at 25 May 2022

RNZCGP accreditation report relating to the visit from 18 to 21 March 2024

This statement outlines how we manage the personal information we collect.

This quick guide for stakeholders covers how to make an online claim through myMCNZ.

Malatest International's final evaluation report of our Regular Practice Review Programme

NZCPHM accreditation report relating to the visit on 4, 5 and 6 May 2022

Checklist 13: Special purpose - locum tenens - only for use with online applications made via myMCNZ

Checklist 2: United Kingdom and Irish medical graduates - only for use with online applications made via myMCNZ

An amendment of this notice was published on 1 October 2024, Notice No. 2024-sl4980 and another amendment was published on 31 March 2025, Notice No. 2025-sl1765.

Terms of reference for our Committee on matters relating to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care

The purpose of the CPD Associate agreement is to assist you in maintaining safe and competent practice, and to clarify your responsibilities, as well as those of the CPD associate.

This guide outlines why doctors may have conditions on their practice, how to find out if a doctor has conditions, and what some of the different types of conditions mean for you as a patient.

Our Strategic plan for 2021 – 2025 outlines our vision and purpose and how we will enhance the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi through achieving our strategic priorities.

Evaluation of changes to prevocational medical training by Malatest International - end of year report for 2018

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Tairāwhiti District Health Board following site visit on 4 and 5 May 2021

This Memorandum of Understanding is made on the 24th day of August 2017
between Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand
and The New Zealand Police.

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Te Whatu Ora - Lakes following site visit on 24 and 25 May 2022

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Te Whatu Ora - Te Toka Tumai Auckland following site visit on 27 and 28 March 2024

This guide will help you complete your application to renew your practising certificate. All applications to renew are now made online using myMCNZ - our online portal.

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for Capital and Coast District Health Board following site visit on 24 and 25 March 2021

Prevocational medical training accreditation report for MidCentral District Health Board following site visit on 30 and 31 March 2021

This document aims to clarify matters relating to the amended start date and changes to dates for intern clinical attachments for the year commencing at the end of 2020.

You must agree to these rules before you can take the examination. If you break these rules you will fail the examination and there may be consequences for any future application for registration.

This policy, which comes into effect on 1 April 2020, sets out on when we might make public in some way, information about an order or direction made by us about a doctor.

Council's submission to Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health on their consultation around the regulation of physician associates under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

This report presents the results of our 2024 workforce survey. Key findings include the continuing increase in the proportion of Māori and female doctors in the workforce, as well as a 3.4 percent increase in the overall size of the workforce.

A community-based attachment is an educational experience in an accredited clinical attachment in a community-focused service in which the intern is engaged in caring for the patient and managing their illness in the context of their family and community.

Patients are entitled to information about their health and the care they are receiving. This statement outlines what we expect of doctors when helping patients to make an informed decision about their care and treatment.

In May 2019 Council consulted with stakeholders on a revised statement and resource on cultural competence, cultural safety and achieving best health outcomes for Māori. The feedback can be found here. The final documents were completed in October 2019.

Manatū Hauora - The Ministry of Health (the Ministry) is proposing that the Physician Associate (PA) profession be regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act 2003. This document outlines the details of this proposal.

This report presents the results of our 2022 workforce survey. Key findings in this report include that the proportion of Māori doctors increased to 4.7 percent, the proportion of female doctors increased to 47.9 percent, and the total number of practising doctors increased to 19,350.

Doctor-patient relationships can come to an end for a variety of reasons, commonly when the patient moves to another area or chooses to see another doctor, but also when the relationship breaks down and either the doctor or patient decides to discontinue the professional relationship. We outline in this statement the process for discontinuing patient care, and the need to do so in a fair and professional manner.

There is a potential for health-related commercial organisations to influence how doctors practise and the clinical decisions they make. We are reviewing our statement on doctors and health-related commercial organisations and would value your feedback.

We are proposing two key changes to the comparable health system pathway to registration in the Provisional General scope of practice. We welcome your feedback about these proposed changes before we make any decisions.

This statement outlines the doctor's responsibility to maintain sexual boundaries with patients, includes advice on what to do if boundaries are threatened, and offers guidance on sexual relationships with former patients and with family members of patients.

As the regulator of the medical profession, the Medical Council of New Zealand (the Council) plays a key role to ensure public safety and to assure and maintain public trust and confidence in the profession; including that doctors continue to maintain high standards of competence.

Each year CPMEC recognises clinical educators across Australia and New Zealand who have made valuable contributions to prevocational medical education and training. PGY1 and PGY2 doctors are eligible to nominate a clinical educator for this award.

The main purpose of the collegial relationship is to ensure that a doctor's PDP and CPD are appropriate for the work they are doing. This guide is intended to outline what you need to do as part of this relationship including prompts for guiding discussion in collegial relationship meetings.

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.

This document highlights the revisions we're making around recertification, cultural safety, and health equity to the accreditation standards for NZ training providers of vocational medical training and recertification programmes

In the November 2015 edition of Medical Council News we looked at stimulating debate amongst health organisations about the urgent need to address Māori health inequity, concerns around processing laboratory results, retrospective changes to patient records and why British doctors move to New Zealand.

Doctors are often asked for input by their family and friends. This may include requests for medical advice or a prescription, or more substantial involvement such as performing a procedure. This statement explains why doctors must avoid treating themselves and those they have a close personal relationship with.

These standards will come into effect on 1 July 2022. The standards outline the standards vocational training providers need to meet in order to be accredited to provide vocational medical training and recertification programmes. We have made revisions to update recertification, cultural safety, health equity and specialist assessment of IMG content.

Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | the Medical Council of New Zealand (the Council) considers it important that all interns have the knowledge and skills to manage and supervise resuscitation events and therefore we have a longstanding requirement that interns hold New Zealand Resuscitation Council (NZRC) CORE Advanced certification.

Each year CPMEC recognises junior doctors across Australia and New Zealand who have made valuable contributions to prevocational medical education and training. Prevocational Education Supervisors, Clinical Directors of Training and CMOs are eligible to nominate a junior doctor for this award.

As a doctor, you have an obligation to be respectful and professional as your behaviour may affect how a health team functions, how care is delivered to patients, and the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession. If you have concerns about the conduct, competence or safety of a doctor’s practice, you should notify the Medical Council.

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.

All doctors have a duty to act on their concerns about another doctor, but doctors in management roles have an extra responsibility to ensure that there are appropriate reporting procedures in place, and these procedures are known to staff who may need to use them. This statement provides guidance for doctors who are concerned about a medical colleague's conduct, performance, competence or health, and provides suggestions on what to do and who to approach.

This statement outlines what cultural safety means and why it is important. The document reflects the evolution of thinking away from the cultural competence of doctors – that is acquiring skills and knowledge of other cultures – towards self-reflection of a doctor’s own attitudes and biases that may affect the cultural safety of patients. Council requires doctors to meet these cultural safety standards.

Telehealth is the use of digital technology to deliver health services where participants may be separated by distance and/or time. This statement outlines our expectation of doctors who practise telehealth in New Zealand and overseas, and includes guidance on registration, conducting physical examinations and prescribing.

This report presents the results of our 2025 workforce survey. Key findings include 20,530 practising doctors, a 2.6% rise from last year. Nearly half are women (49.6%), and representation of Māori (5.5%) and Pacific (2.7%) doctors is growing among younger doctors. International medical graduates continue to play a vital role, especially outside the main centres.

Council, in partnership with Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Te ORA), jointly hosted a highly successful symposium on cultural competence, partnership and health equity on 25 June 2019. The theme of the symposium was Mahia te mahi, hei painga mō te iwi, Getting the job done for the wellbeing of the people. The event aimed to investigate ways of working together to improve cultural safety in order to work towards eliminating health inequities. This booklet brings together the presentations and whakaaro shared at the symposium.

Disclosure of harm refers to instances where a patient has been adversely affected as a direct result of medical care. Open disclosure in this situation promotes transparency, can strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and is important for the health and safety of the public in general. This statement is intended to help doctors understand the purpose of open disclosure and why it matters to patients and their family/whānau. It also guides doctors on factors to consider when a situation requires that the harm is disclosed.

Health-related commercial organisations share some common goals with doctors: they seek to prevent, control, cure and manage diseases, or physical and mental conditions, and may conduct research to improve and advance health care. However, health-related commercial organisations can also have different and potentially conflicting goals in that generating a profit is often a principal goal whereas a doctor’s primary concern must always be the care of patients. This statement outlines our expectations when doctors interact with health-related commercial organisations, and provides guidance on recognising, assessing and managing conflicts of interest (including perceived conflicts of interest) that may arise.