NZNO seeks your feedback on proposed changes to the funding of vaccines in the National Immunisation Schedule. Through provisional agreements with a number of suppliers this would result in several vaccine brand, eligibility and dose changes.

We welcome feedback on the entire proposal or specific vaccines.

Please see the consultation request attached, (which details the vaccines, dose changes and suppliers concerned).

Please send feedback to Angela.Clark@nzno.org.nz by May 30, 2019

This bill establishes the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission/Te Waihanga as an autonomous Crown entity. The Infrastructure Commission’s purpose will be to co-ordinate, develop, and promote an approach to infrastructure that improves the well-being of New Zealanders. Infrastructure provisions (such as hospitals, roads etc.) will be linked to current and expected levels of service and service demand, including within the New Zealand health sector.

This consultation is an important opportunity for NZNO members to offer ideas to inform health considerations regarding infrastructure, such as Health Impact Assessments.

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_86603/new-zealand-infrastructure-commissionte-waihanga-bill

Please send feedback to diana.cookson@nzno.org.nz by 17 May 2019.

The OIA allows people to request official information held by Ministers and specified government agencies.  It contains rules for how such requests should be handled and provides a right to complain to the Ombudsman in certain situations.

NZNO seeks your feedback on how the OIA is working in practice to inform a decision by MoJ as to whether to progress a review of this legislation. Your feedback will help to inform a decision on whether to review the OIA or whether instead to keep the focus on practice improvements.

Please find links to more information at https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/policy/access-to-official-information/ and

MoJ’s privacy policy at https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/privacy_policy/

Please send feedback to leanne.manson@nzno.org.nz by 11 April 2019.

The NZMA is undertaking an internal review of their Code of Ethics which was last changed in 2014. NZNO is seeking your feedback on this updated Code.

Please note that changes to the Code arising from this review are minor, with most recommendations in the 2014 Code unchanged. To help your review the main changes are detailed below:

• The preliminary statement has been expanded to elaborate on professional autonomy and clinical independence, and update wording relating to working in collaborative groups.
• The principle about respecting the rights, autonomy and freedom of choice of the patient now also includes respecting the relationships of the patient (principle #2)
• The principle on avoiding exploiting the patient has been expanded to include the need to develop a relationship of trust (principle #3)
• The Treaty of Waitangi has been added to recommendation #25 in the section on responsibilities to the patient
• A new clause has been added to the section on professional responsibilities relating to doctors treating themselves or members of their families (recommendation #34)
• Two new recommendations have been added to the section on research. Recommendation #51 addresses research involving people who are incapable of giving consent while recommendation #52 addresses research involving biobanks or similar repositories.
• The WMA Declaration of Geneva has been added to the end of the Code.

The updated 2019 Code, as well as the 2014 Code with amendments shown as track changes are attached.

Please send feedback to jinny.willis@nzno.org.nz by 5 April 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback on the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill.

Crucially, this bill aims to improve the way Police use discretion for drug offences and to treat drug use/addiction as more of a health issue.

The Bill aims to:

• make the two main synthetics, 5F-ADB and AMB-Fubinaca, Class A drugs;
• target suppliers through  increased penalties for makers and suppliers of synthetic drugs and
• give police more discretion to either prosecute users or consider whether directing them to health and therapeutic services would be more beneficial.

You can download the Bill from the Misuse of Drugs Amendment page.

Please send feedback to diana.cookson@nzno.org.nz  by 4 April 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback on the draft prioritisation vehicle that will drive health research investment in New Zealand up until 2027.

The revised prioritisation model is informed by the initial round of consultation (on which NZNO provided feedback) in September and October 2018.

Following this consultation, health research priority actions for New Zealand will be established in mid-2019.

Please find background information about the consultation and prioritisation process to date here:

http://www.hrc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Consultation%20Document%20-%20March%202019_0.pdf

Please send feedback to jinny.willis@nzno.org.nz by 26 March 2019.

NZNO seeks your feedback on the draft Bowel Screening Histology Data Standard.

The draft Bowel Screening Histology Standard (attached below) identifies and describes the data elements and values that need to be captured and sent to the National Screening Solution from the laboratories that perform histology services as part of National Bowel Screening Programme.

Please note that the National Screening Solution is a new system currently being developed to receive Screening Programme data from service providers.  

• Bowel Screening Histology

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 22 March 2019.

https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/acart-2nd-round-consultation-proposed-donation-surrogacy-guidelines-consultation-document-feb2019_0.pdf

NZNO seeks your feedback on changes to the guidelines for:

• family gamete donation
• embryo donation,
• the use of donated eggs with donated sperm (donated eggs/donated sperm) and
• clinic-assisted surrogacy

(Collectively, the Donation Guidelines review).

In this consultation document, ACART presents a full and clear explanation of when consent would be needed, to gauge whether people understand and agree with their proposal. 

Please send feedback to diana.cookson@nzno.org.nz by 18 March 2018.

NZNO seeks your feedback on proposed changes to employer-led temporary work visas that aim to ensure these are matched where there are genuine skill shortages.

Crucially for nurses and employers changes include:

• replacing the Essential Skills in Demand Lists with Regional Skills in Demand Lists and
• introducing sector agreements to ensure longer-term structural issues are addressed, so that sectors do not become reliant on migrant labour, at the risk of shutting out opportunities to New Zealander.

https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/consultation-on-a-new-approach-to-employer-assisted-work-visas-and-regional-workforce-planning/

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 11 March 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback as part of a second round of consultation on reforms made to the family justice system in 2014. An Independent Panel tasked by the MoJ to examine the effectiveness of these reforms considers changes need to be made to the Family Court and related processes. The attached consultation documents (in English and Te Re Māori) outline their initial thoughts on a proposed direction for change.

https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/policy/strengthening-the-family-justice-system/

https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/Strengthening-the-family-justice-system-Te-reo.pdf

Please send feedback to Leanne.Manson@nzno.org.nz by 25 February 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback on proposals for change to the vocational education sector which will affect the education and training of many members. Currently 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics receive $500 million of government funding annually and are facing significant financial challenges with student numbers in decline, domestically by 1/3 in the last 10 years.

Following engagement with a variety of stakeholders in 2018, the government has three main proposals for change, with a view to making a decision mid-year and legislation being introduced later this year. These proposals include:

• a New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology serving all of New Zealand and (so existing government owned institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) are brought together as single entity);
• a unified national funding system of vocational education and training and
• new roles for providers and industry bodies Industry Training Organisations

The consultation document and additional companion documents are attached below:

• Consultation discussion document
• Roles of providers and industry bodies - technical discussion document
• New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology - technical discussion document
• Unified funding system - technical discussion document

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by 20 March 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback as part of a second round of consultation on reforms made to the family justice system in 2014. An Independent Panel tasked by the MoJ to examine the effectiveness of these reforms considers changes need to be made to the Family Court and related processes. The attached consultation documents (in English and Te Re Māori) outline their initial thoughts on a proposed direction for change.

https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/policy/strengthening-the-family-justice-system/

https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/Strengthening-the-family-justice-system-Te-reo.pdf

Please send feedback to Leanne.Manson@nzno.org.nz by 25 February 2019.

Phase one of the review is underway with the Review Committee seeking responses to a short list of questions on what people want from health and disability system. Nurses and the nursing support team are an integral part of the health and disability system, and NZNO seeks member feedback on the questions which can be found here:

https://systemreview.health.govt.nz/overview/give-us-your-views/

We would also encourage all members to respond individually to the online survey which will be live until the end of May  https://systemreview.citizenspace.com/

Please send feedback to leanne.manson@nzno.org.nz by 31 March 2019

NZNO seeks your feedback on a new scheme for the regulation of medicines. The proposed Therapeutic Products Bill will replace the Medicines Act 1981. It will cover all therapeutic products and medical devices, and controls on clinical trials, product approvals, and prescribing procedures. NZNO welcomes the proposed alignment of medicines with health practitioner regulation. We anticipate this will remove outdated legislative barriers to nursing, reduce the use of standing orders, and lead to a more effective use of the health workforce.

The consultation document accompanying the draft Bill sets out clearly how the scheme will work in practice. Chapter C details what the new scheme would mean for different sectors and health practitioner groups eg C8 (p.116) describes ‘controlled activities’ such as prescribing, issuing standing orders. (Note that it is proposed to remove the category of delegated prescribers.)

These proposed, and long awaited changes to medicines regulation are of SINGULAR IMPORTANCE to the profession and practise of nurses, midwives and allied health workers. We strongly urge all NZNO members and member groups to read and discuss the proposed scheme carefully and provide feedback.

• Consultation document
• Draft Bill

(Note that low-risk natural health products, including rongoā Māori and dietary supplements will be regulated separately. For more information see the Ministry of Health Natural health products page).

Please send feedback to Sue.Gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by 31 March 2019.

A position statement on violence and aggression towards nurses that clearly states the unacceptability of this behavior in the work context of nurses has been requested. 

This would be in addition to the other resources that NZNO provides on managing situations of conflict, de-escalation and health and safety in workplaces. 

The draft attached has had input from NZNO staff members and was drafted using research about nurses and colleagues in other health professions who are subjected to verbal and physical violence and aggression at work.

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by 15 February 2019.