Registration / HPCA Act
Provides information on the road towards registration and the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.
December 2008 Update
With the change to a new government following the recent national elections, the out-going Minister of Health (David Cunliffe) has responded to the Executive's most recent letter. The most recent letter to the Minister of Health can be accessed here, while Mr. Cunliffe's letter of response can be viewed here.
As the letter states, new applications for consideration under the Act have not been accepted since March 2007; however, the Executive Committee of the time were not informed of this change. The on-going review of the Act, along with a new government, indicates further delays for the decision as to whether our application will be accepted or not.
November 2008 Update
Throughout the year, the Executive Committee has been in communication with the Ministry of Health, seeking feedback on the application made late last year. As reported at the AGM in May, following frequent communication with the Ministry, the Executive Committee were informed the decision regarding the inclusion of speech-language therapy under the Act was delayed due to a review of the Act.
This review has been on-going, with workshops held last month in Auckland and Christchurch. At the Christchurch workshop, the Executive Committee were informed there are currently four professions that have completed the consultation phase of the application process. The review is due to be completed in December this year, and will then go to the Minister of Health.
The review, along with our application for inclusion under the Act, needs to go before the Minister of Health. Although the Executive Committee have not been given a formal timeframe, it is not expected we will hear anything further until early 2009.
Any enquiries about our submission for inclusion under the HPCA Act should be directed to Clare McCann (Professional Standards).
March 2008 Update
The date for making a submission on the regulation of Speech-Language Therapy under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act was early December 2007 (see below). However, the Ministry of Health accepted a number of submissions into January this year.
The next step will be to analyse the submissions, and report the results to the Minister of Health for his decision on whether or not Speech-Language Therapy should be regulated. The Ministry is unable to provide a time frame for when this process will be completed.
An additional hold up is Ministry of Health's current review of the Act. This review is likely to affect the way regulatory bodies are structured (i.e should there continue to be one regulatory authority for each regulated profession or should there be more 'grouping' of related professions). Cabinet indicated last year that it did not want any new regulatory authorities established until the review has examined this issue. The review of the Act is intended to be completed by the end of 2008. The Ministry suggests that, when this is complete, they should be able to progress any outstanding applications for regulation.
October 2007 Update
The NZSTA application for registration under the HPCAA has been organised as a "consultation document" by the Ministry of Health. Consequently, consultation will be sought from health professionals, agencies, and organisations. This is a critical phase of the application process. The deadline for submissions for this consultation is December 3rd 2007. The document is available at the following link:
Please encourage all individuals and organisations you may be associated with in making submissions for this application.
For more information about NZSTA's application for registration under the HPCA Act, please contact Michael Robb (Professional Standards Portfolio leader).
Pre-2007 Summary
Much of the ground-work for making a submission for registration under the HPCAA was laid in the years leading up to 2007. Most significantly, consultation with Speech-Language Therapists across the country took place during 2005. This consultation took the form of the survey, which focussed on general views around registration and the HPCAA, including a draft scope of practice. The 120 responses to this survey were subsequently put forward as part of the application to the Ministry of Health.
Once the application was submitted, the next stages in the process were impeded by governmental process. However, the application was moved into the next phase (consultation) earlier this year.
What is the HPCAA?
The Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act (2003) provides a framework for the regulation of health practitioners in order to protect the public where there is a risk of harm from the practice of the profession. Having one legislative framework allows for consistent procedures and terminology across the professions now regulated by the Act. The principal purpose of protecting the health and safety of the public is emphasised and the Act includes mechanisms to ensure that practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions for the duration of their professional lives.
The HPCA Act is administered by the Ministry of Health. More information about the Act can be found by visiting the following site:
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