Public Health & Disability Act

The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act, or NZPHD Act, supervises the overall structure and implementation of health and disability services in New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Ministry of Health.

Origins

• The NZPHD Act went into effect in December of 2000. It served as a replacement for the Health and Disability Services Act of 1993 and revised portions of the Health Sector (Transitional Provisions) Act.

Purpose

• The NZPHD Act provides for structuring and organization of health and disability institutions and funding, facilitating better health and disability access and information.

Organization

• The NZPHD Act supervised the creation of 21 district health boards. These boards of elected officials, also known as “crown agents,” represent local communities’ health needs and best interests.

Governance

• Each district health board employs three separate committees to examine health issues: the Hospital Advisory Committee, the Disability Support Advisory Committee, and the Community and Public Health Advisory Committee.

Accountability

• Each district health board must demonstrate accountability through its district strategic plan and regular reports on its district annual plan. The Minister of Health can sanction boards that fail their accountability checks.