The Health Practitioner's Competence Assurance Act of 2003

The Health Practitioner's Competence Assurance Act of 2003 is a piece of legislation passed by the New Zealand Parliament. The Act seeks to protect the public by ensuring that all health practitioners are thoroughly regulated and certified.

Function

• The Act requires that all health practitioners register with the Ministry of Health. Practitioners must register in the specific field in which they are trained, and they may not practice in other fields.

Identification

• The Minister of Health is required to appoint registration authorities for each field of medicine. Registration authorities must issue an annual practicing certificate to registered health practitioners, who must have their certificates updated if they add a new field to their practice.

History

• The Act passed Parliament on September 11, 2003. Much of the Act was a re-working of previous legislation, encompassing many aspects of the Medical Practitioners Act of 1995.