Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal
The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) has established a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal to hear and determine charges brought before it regarding any health practitioner covered by the HPCAA. The Tribunal is a separate body from the OTBNZ or any other health registration authority. It is likely that the Tribunal will consider only the most serious of complaints.
Health registration authorities will not hear charges that arise from the operation of the HPCAA.
The Tribunal comprises a chairperson and three deputy chairpersons (all Barristers or Solicitors of the High Court), as well as a panel of laypersons and health practitioners. All members of the Tribunal are appointed by the Minister of Health. When the Tribunal sits to hear a particular case it comprises five people:
- the chairperson or a deputy chairperson
- a lay person appointed from the panel
- three health professionals appointed from the panel and who are professional peers of the health practitioner who is the subject of the hearing.
The source of charges before the Tribunal is either the Director of Proceedings from the Health and Disability Commissioner's Office, or a Professional Conduct Committee.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal website is www.hpdt.org.nz.