2026 NZNO Medico-Legal Forum

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa | New Zealand Nurses Organisation
Medico-Legal Lawyer

Hilary Max is one of the medico-legal lawyers at NZNO. In this role she advises and represents nurses in coronial matters, Health and Disability Commissioner investigations, and professional practice matters before Nursing Council.

Across her career, Hilary’s practice has included civil, criminal, and professional regulatory matters. She has worked in both the prosecution and defence space.

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa | New Zealand Nurses Organisation
Medico-Legal Lawyer

Erika Hendy is one of the medico-lawyers at NZNO. Prior to her role at NZNO she held senior legal position at the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) and Te Whatu Ora Waitaha where she provided advice on a range of medico-legal topics and processes including coronial matters, investigations by the HDC, privacy, treatment orders and other internal and external investigations.

At NZNO she has experience in advising and representing nurses through a range of forums including Nursing Council, HDC, external reviews and coronial matters.

Chief Executive, Age Concern Canterbury

Greta Bond is Chief Executive at Age Concern Canterbury, an NGO that promotes and supports the wellbeing and dignity of older people across Canterbury and the West Coast. Amongst a range of other services, Age Concern Canterbury provides Elder Abuse Response, receiving over 670 referrals from across the health system, social agencies, the police, the SPCA, neighbours, whānau, and individual subject people, in 2025 alone.

Previously Greta has worked in the Planning and Funding Department of the Canterbury District Health Board, supporting the health of older people, and earlier at the University of Canterbury as a lecturer in Theatre and Film Studies. Greta is an advocate for the rights of older people, particularly in relation to how Ageism impacts social policy and even clinical and social outcomes for older people.

RN, BN, MHPrac, FCNA(NZ), CHIA, FHiNZ
Clinical Director, Amalga Health (by McCrae Tech)
linkedin.com/in/carey-campbell

With a rich career spanning both public and private surgical healthcare, Carey Campbell is a dedicated registered nurse, credentialed with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Currently serving in a digital health leadership role at Amalga Health (by McCrae Tech), Carey is passionate about elevating the nursing voice in health technology and innovation. Her work bridges clinical practice and digital transformation, ensuring that nursing remains at the forefront of system design and delivery.

Carey maintains strong clinical and professional engagement through her governance roles. She is the Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Special Interest Group at Health Informatics NZ (HiNZ), and serves on the Executive of Nurse Executives Aotearoa. Her contributions have been recognised with Fellowships from the College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ), Health Informatics NZ (HiNZ), and (previously) by the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH). She also holds certification as a Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA) and is a member of the Health AI working group.

Carey brings a strategic yet grounded perspective to AI and digital health, always centring nursing values in the development of future-ready health systems.

Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of NZ
Pouārahi/Pouroki | Chief Executive/Registrar

Catherine Byrne is the Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing Council of New Zealand, leading the statutory authority responsible for the regulation of over 85,000 nurses. Catherine is an experienced regulatory leader with a deep commitment to public protection, equity, and culturally responsive leadership.

Catherine is known for her strategic vision, values-based leadership, integrity and her ability to lead through complexity and reform. Catherine has championed regulatory change that reflects the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to strengthen relationships with Māori and ensure cultural safety is embedded across professional standards, education and fitness to practise systems.

Catherine is a collaborative leader, working closely with health and education leaders to influence change with the common purpose of public safety. Catherine is leading the Council’s response to the New Zealand Royal Commission into abuse in state care, ensuring a survivor informed regulatory response. Catherine leads on behalf of the Council, an ambitious programme of strategic work, including the development of new registered and enrolled nurse standards, and the development of new competence assessment requirements for internationally qualified nurses applying for registration in New Zealand.

Catherine brings prior experience in health leadership, a registered nurse herself, Catherine understands the nursing profession and the context of providing care in a complex and challenging system.

Her leadership reflects a commitment to regulation that is compassionate, inclusive and future focused.

Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of NZ
Pouroki Tuarua/Kaitohutohu Ture Mātāmua – Deputy Registrar/Senior Legal Advisor

Nick Davis is the Deputy Registrar for the Council and oversees the fitness to practise functions for the Council (including the conduct, competence and health processes). Nick also provides policy and general legal advice to the Council.

Nick was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 2007 and has worked in private legal practice specialising in civil, criminal and family litigation before joining the Nursing Council in 2015. He provides legal advice to the Professional Conduct Committees, Health and Competence Committees as well as the Registrant Quality Committee.

Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of NZ
Pouroki Tuarua/Kaitohutohu Ture Mātāmua | Deputy Registrar/Senior Legal Advisor

Clare Prendergast manages the legal team and provides general legal advice to the Council. Clare registered as a nurse in 1977 after completing the Wellington Hospital programme. She completed a law degree while continuing to work part time at Wellington Hospital. Clare commenced work as a legal editor for Brookers in 1992 and has worked at the Nursing Council since 1995. She is a contributing author to Health Care and the Law and the Fundamentals of Nursing 3e on the Evolve website. She has managed the Health and Conduct areas since 2012.

Health and Disability Commission, Associate Commissioner Legal
Jane.king@hdc.org.nz

Jane is the Chief Legal Officer at HDC. She is part of the Executive Leadership Team and provides advice to the Commissioner on a full range of legal and strategic issues. She also manages HDC’s legal team.

Jane joined HDC in November 2016. She has more than twenty five years’ experience in public and private sector roles. She has held senior legal and advisory roles at the Ministry of Health, and in the Office of the Minister of Health.  She has also worked in private practice in London and for leading law firm Buddle Findlay.

Jane has an LLB and an MPA.

Te Toihau Hauora Motuhake | Health and Disability Commissioner

The main role of the Health and Disability Commissioner is to ensure that rights of consumers are upheld. This includes making sure that complaints about health or disability service providers are taken care of fairly and efficiently. Morag McDowell, Health and Disability Commissioner, began her term in September 2020.

Morag took up the role after serving nearly 13 years as a Coroner based in Auckland. She was formerly a Crown Prosecutor, Director of Proceedings for the Health and Disability Commissioner’s Office, and a Senior Legal Adviser at Crown Law. Since completing her Master of Laws degree, her legal practice has had a strong focus on healthcare law, and she has appeared in different courts and tribunals on a variety of health-related litigation. She has also lectured and published on a range of medico-legal issues.

Morag is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of health and disability services consumers where the Code sets the benchmark for good practice, and opportunities for learning and quality improvement are embraced. She strongly values the importance of fair, timely, transparent, and culturally appropriate processes where people are engaged, and given the opportunity to be heard.