4768 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 173

4 Describe the methodology or how the activity will be carried out

An "activity" formally described and protected under the provisions of the Act may consist of a number of separate activities, to the extent that they fall within the methodology formally described in the notice signed by the Minister of Health.

5 What procedures will be undertaken to improve the practices and competence of the participating health practitioners if the assessment or evaluation identifies problems in the provision of any health services provided by the health practitioners?

Describe the mechanisms for providing feedback and advice to the health practitioners and how it is intended to effect any changes or to introduce new processes or procedures designed to improve the provision of the relevant health services.

6 How does the proposed QAA meet the requirements of a QAA provided in the definition in section 53 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003?

Identify that the QAA proposed to be protected contains the following elements:

• Identifiable group of health practitioner(s)
• Assessment or evaluation of the health services provided by that/those practitioner(s)
• Report back or recommendations to participating health practitioners about the performance of the health services provided by those practitioners, aimed at improving the practices and competence of those practitioners
• The monitoring of the implementation of any such recommendations.

There is an expectation that the competence and practice of participating practitioners will improve and that this can be measured through the operation of the QAA.

7 Who is the activity’s sponsor?

The sponsor is the person or association of persons on whose initiative and under whose guidance the activity is undertaken. Give full details. A sponsor could, for example, be a department, a specialty, a Government body, a District Health Board, a licensed hospital, a body that provides health care, an educational institution, a research body or a health practitioner college.

8 What is the name and position of the responsible person for this QAA? Does the responsible person have any association with the health practitioners who performance is being assessed; if so, what?

To be appointed as a responsible person, the person must be a natural person and, in the Minister’s opinion, sufficiently independent of the health practitioners whose services are to be assessed or evaluated through the QAA. In essence, the person needs to be able to take responsibility for the integrity and maintenance of the QAA’s methodology and to provide independent or objective commentary or overview to meet the reporting requirements. They need not be external to your organisation, but should have a sufficient knowledge of the subject-matter of the QAA, and QAAs generally, to enable them to adequately carry out the purpose and functions of the role. While clinical knowledge may be useful, for some QAAs, particularly multi-disciplinary QAAs, a senior quality manager may be more appropriate for this role.

There is a formal requirement that the responsible person must not have been convicted in any Court in New Zealand or elsewhere of any offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 3 months or more or been adjudged bankrupt under the Insolvency Act 1967.

The responsible person must give in writing the undertakings and declaration set out below this application form.

9 Why is it in the public interest that the protections conferred by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 should apply to your activity?

The Minister may not declare a QAA unless the Minister is satisfied that it is in the public interest that the protection conferred by the provisions of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 should apply in respect of that activity.

Signature of Applicant

Date

Undertakings and Declaration by the Responsible Person

Undertaking 1

I undertake to inform the Minister of Health of any change to the purposes of the QAA as soon as practicable after the change occurs.

Undertaking 2

I undertake to inform the Minister of Health of any significant change to the composition or purposes of the group of the participating health practitioners, if it is likely to affect the QAA, as soon as practicable after the change occurs.

Undertaking 3

I undertake to meet the obligations set out in section 58 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 relating to reporting to the relevant providers of health services and to the Minister of Health.

Declaration

I declare that I have not:

• been convicted in any Court in New Zealand or elsewhere of any offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of three months or more; or
• been adjudged bankrupt under the Insolvency Act 1967.