5 NOVEMBER

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

1485

THE MEDICAL COUNCIL

THE Medical Council is established under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 1950 and has powers and functions relating to the registration and control of medical practitioners.

1. The Medical Register

The Medical Register contains the names, qualifications, and addresses of all persons who are registered as medical practitioners or who are conditionally registered as at 30 June of the year to which the register relates.

It does not contain entries relating to persons who have been granted either provisional or temporary certificates issued under the provisions of the Act.

2. Conditional Registration

A person who is conditionally registered may practise as a medical practitioner only in a hospital or institution approved by the Council.

3. Registration as a Medical Practitioner

A person who is registered as a medical practitioner (fully registered) may practise free of the restrictions placed upon a person who is conditionally registered.

4. House Officer Service

Every person who is conditionally registered and who wishes to become registered as a medical practitioner must satisfy the Council that he has completed at least 12 months service as a house officer in a resident medical capacity in a hospital or institution approved by the Council for the purpose and that he has acquired experience of a kind approved by the Council or has otherwise acquired comparable experience.

Such experience must be not less than 12 months and include six months in medicine or its branches and six months in surgery or its branches. Experience in obstetrics up to six months may be claimed as experience in medicine or surgery as the applicant elects. Experience in appointments which involve duties which are both medical and surgical may be claimed as half in medicine and half in surgery. Experience comparable to the foregoing may be accepted by the Council. Applicants wishing to rely on this comparable experience must set out in writing full details of previous activities which are relevant to the application.

5. Provisional Certificate

Pending consideration of an application for registration by the Council a provisional certificate may be issued. This certificate entitles the person to whom the certificate relates to practise as a medical practitioner subject to any endorsement as to the extent to which the applicant may practise.

6. Temporary Certificate

A certificate which shall entitle a person to practise as a medical practitioner may be issued to applicants for such a certificate who are visiting New Zealand for the purposes of obtaining post graduate experience or for giving post graduate instruction. No fees are payable for such a certificate.

7. Evidence of Registration

A certified copy of an entry in the register may be obtained from the Secretary and is evidence of the registration of the person to whom the certificate relates. Such a certificate is normally required in support of an application for registration with overseas registration authorities. A fee of 10s. is payable.

8. Application for Registration

Persons applying for registration must make personal application either to the Secretary or at a District Health Office and in the case of overseas graduates must identify themselves by producing a current passport and submit in support of this application a certificate of good standing of recent date issued by the registration authority duly established in the country wherein their basic medical qualifications are granted. Diplomas must also be produced.

Applicants are required to nominate three persons of standing who have recent and personal knowledge of the applicant from whom the Council might obtain references as to character and standing.

9. Character of Applicants

The Council may refuse to register any applicant who is not in the opinion of the Council a fit person to be registered or who has at any time been convicted of an offence which if committed in New Zealand would be punishable by imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards.

10. Eligibility for Registration

The council may register any person who is:

(a) A graduate in medicine and surgery of the University of New Zealand.

(b) Registered in accordance with the Acts relating to the registration of medical practitioners in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Eire provided that such person has been registered by virtue of degrees, diplomas, or other qualifications granted in the United Kingdom or Eire.

(c) The holder of a degree, diploma, or other qualifications approved by the Council and granted other than as provided for in subparas (a) and (b) above after a course of study of not less than six years. Such a person must hold current registration with the appropriate registration authority in the country wherein the qualifications are granted. The Council may refuse to register such a person unless New Zealand medical graduates are entitled to practice in the country in question.

Degrees and diplomas granted by Universities and Institutions in the United Kingdom, Eire, South Africa, Australia, and Hong Kong, are registerable. In addition, degrees and diplomas as may have been approved by the council and granted in India, Pakistan, and the Provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada, are, subject to satisfactory evidence of good character and registration, accepted by the Council.

The Council has not negotiated any agreement relating to the entitlement of New Zealand medical graduates to practise in any country, state, or province other than those referred to in the preceeding paragraph and therefore is unlikely to register persons who hold qualifications granted in places other than those mentioned above.

11. Appeal to Supreme Court

An applicant who has been refused registration or who is dissatisfied with the direction of the Council may appeal to the Supreme Court.

12. Commencement of Practice

No person may practise medicine or surgery under any style or title implying that he is registered under the Act unless he has been so registered.

No person may hold any appointment as a Medical Officer of Health, or medical officer in the armed forces, hospitals, mental hospitals, prisons, or other public institutions or friendly societies unless he is registered under the Act.

No person may commence practice unless and until he has been advised by the Secretary to the effect that he is so entitled.

13. Change of Address

Every person registered under the Act is required to notify the Secretary within one month of any change in the address shown against his name in the register. No fee is payable for this alteration to the Register.

14. Additional Qualifications

Every person registered under the Act may apply to have the Register amended to include any additional qualification approved by the Council against his name in the Register. Evidence by way of the original diploma must be produced either to the Secretary or a Medical Officer of Health. No fee is payable for this alteration to the Register.

15. Change of Name

The Register on the application of the person concerned and with the approval of the Council may be amended to show any change in the name of the person registered. Such applications must be supported by a deed poll, marriage certificate, birth certificate, or other acceptable evidence. A fee of £1 is payable.

16. Annual Practising Certificate

Every person registered under the Act who practises in New Zealand must apply to the Secretary for a certificate in respect of each year commencing on 1 April, and unless he has made such application he is not entitled to practise in New Zealand. The fee is £1 per annum.

17. Discipline

The Medical Council is empowered to hear complaints against registered medical practitioners amounting to grave impropriety or infamous conduct and may make application to the Supreme Court to have the practitioner concerned suspended or to have his name removed from the Register or may impose a lesser penalty. The Council is also empowered to hear appeals against any order of the Disciplinary Committee in respect of a charge of professional misconduct or in respect of complaint made to the Committee by the Minister in connection with matters arising out of Part III of the Social Security Act.

18. Complaints Against Practitioners

Persons wishing to lay complaints against registered medical practitioners should in the case of complaints amounting to professional misconduct address themselves to the Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee, P.O. Box 156, Wellington.

Complaints amounting to grave impropriety or infamous conduct should be made to a Crown Solicitor in the Supreme Court District in which the incident arises and the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Amendment Act 1957 apply in the investigation of such complaints and their presentation before the Council.

19. Fees

The following fees have been fixed by regulations under the Act—

Registration:

On deposit of evidence of qualifications £ s. d.
For provisional certificate .. 0 5 0
For annual practising certificate .. 1 0 0

Total fees on registration .. £6 5 0

Other:

For alteration to the Register other than additional qualification or change of address .. 1 0 0
Restoration of name to the Register after removal therefrom .. 2 0 0
For certificate of registration .. 0 10 0
For any inspection of the Register .. 0 5 0
For annual practising certificate .. 1 0 0

20. Medical Practitioners Act

Copies of the Medical Practitioners Act and Amendments are available from the Government Printer, Wellington.

Next Page →