Health professionals would be required by law to dob in incompetent colleagues under proposed legislation on which the Government is seeking public advice.
Health Minister Annette King yesterday issued a discussion document on law changes intended to provide better public health and safety protection.
If passed by Parliament, the new Health Professionals Competency Assurance Bill will replace 11 occupation regulation statutes, bringing most health professionals under one set of standards.
Under the new laws, health professionals would be required to report colleagues whom they believed to be practising below an acceptable standard.
"The notifying practitioner will be protected from civil and criminal liability provided they have not acted in bad faith or without reasonable care," the discussion document says.
The legislation also proposes to require colleagues, employers or educators to notify the appropriate registering authority if they believe a practitioner is unable to practise because of a mental or physical condition. It proposes to allow registering authorities to suspend or place mandatory conditions on practices in cases where there are reasonable grounds to believe a health professional poses a risk to the public.
At the moment no laws provide for regulatory authorities to take action before a tribunal hearing.
Mrs King described the proposed law changes as a "very timely" opportunity for health professionals to influence ways of ensuring they continued to offer safe care of high quality.
"The professions, the public and the Government all acknowledge that it's no longer enough for someone to emerge from a training course, hang up their shingle and leave it at that," she said.
"No single initiative will ensure quality, but this bill, along with other quality initiatives, should ensure that we start providing better and safer health services."
The document has been circulated to health and consumer groups. People have until November 15 to prepare submissions on it.
- NZPA
Public opinion sought on dob in a doctor law
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.