What the Council is doing now

Our actions in response to the Royal Commission

A key point in the chair’s apology and response to the Report of the Royal Commission into Abuse in State and Faith Based Care is the notion of making amends for the survivors of Lake Alice. This includes putting people at the centre of our processes and listening to their concerns. One of the key findings from the Royal Commission is that people who tried to tell others about what was happening to them were not listened to or believed.

The Medical Council has work in progress to improve how consumers can let them know if they are concerned about how a doctor has cared for or treated them. The Medical Council is reviewing its processes around notifications.

This includes:

·       Making language more consumer-friendly. The gradual implementation of accessibility standards in line with best practice.

·        Structural changes to the website to ensure navigation of the process in advising the Medical Council of concerns about a doctor's practice (called a notification).

·       Information on the website about where to access advice and support when notifying.

·        Improving listening and consultation with consumers through Whakawaha (the Medical Council Stakeholder Advisory Group).

·       Developing a short survey for consumers to provide feed back to the Council their experience of submitting a notification (raising a concern about a doctor).

Three monthly reports are provided to the Council. In addition, regular updates can be found here.