RACS made a submission by writing to the Minister of Health and the Director General of Health, expressing concern about:
- purpose – the lack of focus on the purpose of the Act to “protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions.”
- cultural safety - the proposed reduction of focus on cultural safety, which is crucial for patient-centred care
- the role of regulators and professional colleges – the tone of the documents undermined the role of regulators and professional colleges in maintaining health standards and implied health workforce regulation is the cause of New Zealand’s health workforce shortages.
- the consultation process – the short timeframe, consultation document and online survey, do not meet the standards for a fair public sector consultation process.
RACS also made a submission through the online survey portal, working around a set of leading questions, and encouraged and supported numerous surgeons and Societies to submit.
RACS supported the Council of Medical Colleges in laying a complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office, as the process breached its guidelines for fair public sector consultation processes – especially the requirement to be objective, open-ended, evidence-based, unbiased, and politically neutral.
- purpose – the lack of focus on the purpose of the Act to “protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions.”
- cultural safety - the proposed reduction of focus on cultural safety, which is crucial for patient-centred care
- the role of regulators and professional colleges – the tone of the documents undermined the role of regulators and professional colleges in maintaining health standards and implied health workforce regulation is the cause of New Zealand’s health workforce shortages.
- the consultation process – the short timeframe, consultation document and online survey, do not meet the standards for a fair public sector consultation process.
RACS also made a submission through the online survey portal, working around a set of leading questions, and encouraged and supported numerous surgeons and Societies to submit.
RACS supported the Council of Medical Colleges in laying a complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office, as the process breached its guidelines for fair public sector consultation processes – especially the requirement to be objective, open-ended, evidence-based, unbiased, and politically neutral.