Links

Other Ministry of Health related websites

• Inter-agency and joint initiative websites
• Health Advisory Committees
• Health-related Crown Entities
• Ministry of Health business units
• Ministry of Health resources

Inter-agency and joint initiative websites


The Ministry of Health contributes to a number of websites which are joint projects with other organisations or government departments.

Public Health Workforce Development - www.publichealthworkforce.org.nz
The public health workforce website holds public health careers information and job vacancies, a list of polytechnics and universities offering qualifications in public health, tools for managers to aid in workforce development planning, and all the latest public health workforce development news

Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Authority - www.anztpa.org
A joint regulatory scheme established by the Australian and New Zealand Governments for therapeutic products. The scheme will regulate medicines (including complementary medicines) and medical devices and is expected to come into force on the passage of legislation and ratification of the treaty.

Cervical Screening - www.csi.org.nz
A website for the Ministerial Inquiry into the under-reporting of cervical smear abnormalities in the Gisborne region.

Clinical Training Agency (Post Entry Clinical Training) - www.moh.govt.nz/cta
The Agency provides funding for Post Entry Clinical Training (PECT) programmes.

Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand - www.hpforum.org.nz
A national umbrella organisation funded by the Ministry of Health to provide national leadership and support for good health promotion practice consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Ottawa Charter. The Forum provides information, coordination, training and skills development to both members and the health promotion workforce at large. We organise seminars and meetings, contribute to policy development and undertake advocacy on behalf of health promotion in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

Like Minds - www.likeminds.govt.nz
A public health funded project to reduce the stigma of mental illness and the discrimination that people with experience of mental illness face everyday in the community.
This website provides information and resources on the project, looks at who is involved and how you can contribute to creating a nation that values and includes people with mental illness.

Mental Health Commission - www.mhc.govt.nz
The Mental Health Commission facilitates the implementation of the Blueprint for Mental Health Services in New Zealand. This is a national mental health service development plan, setting out the Commission's view of the changes needed to realise the objectives of the Government's national mental health strategy. The Blueprint provides a plan for a mental heath system that ensures good treatment and support for those affected by mental illness.

National Drug Policy - www.ndp.govt.nz
The National Drug Policy aims to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders by encouraging the development of strategies and programmes which prevent and reduce drug-related harm. This website contains information from the IACD and MCDP meetings, news on current policies, Action Plans, detailed information about the various drugs covered by the NDP, relevant publications and links to related websites.

National Radiation Laboratory (NRL)
The NRL provides a resource of expert advice, service provision and research capability on matters concerning public, occupational and medical exposure to radiation, the performance of radiation equipment, and the measurement of radiation and radioactivity.

New Zealand Guidelines Group - www.nzgg.org.nz
The NZGG is an independent, not-for-profit organisation set up to promote effective delivery of health and disability services, based on evidence. An Advisory Board consisting of a Chair, vice Chair and Directors from around New Zealand governs the NZGG. The Board currently draws on leadership in nursing, Maori Health, Pacific Health, consumer representation, medicine, disability support, public health medicine and general practice.

New Zealand Health Innovation Awards - www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz
The Health Innovation Awards recognise and celebrate the initiatives of health sector people working to develop better products, services, and processes, to improve the treatment, care and recovery of New Zealanders. The awards are a joint initiative by the Ministry of Health and ACC

Public Health www Networking Project - www.publichealth.org.nz
A project promoting collaboration and networking across a range of public health sectors. It is a project of the Social and Health Outcomes, Research and Evaluation (SHORE) centre, Massey University, funded by the Ministry of Health.

Strengthening Families - www.strengtheningfamilies.govt.nz
Strengthening Families is a cross-sectoral, whole-of-government initiative which uses a structured process of government agencies and community organisations working together to improve outcomes for vulnerable families. Both government and non-government/community organisations participate in Strengthening Families.
Health Advisory Committees

The Ministry of Health provides secretariat support for a number of Ministerial health advisory committees and councils:

Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART)
ACART is an independent advisory committee that sits between the government and the people of New Zealand and formulates advice and guidelines for the regulation of assisted human reproduction. ACART is required to undertake extensive public consultation before issuing advice or finalising guidelines.

Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ECART)
ECART's function is consider and determine applications for assisted reproductive procedures or human reproductive research and keep under review approvals previously given. In addition, ECART liases with ACART and other relevant ethics committees on matters relating to assisted reproductive procedures and human reproductive research.

Cancer Control Council
The Council provides an independent sustainable focus for cancer control. The Council’s key objective is to lead the sector to successfully implement New Zealand’s Cancer Control Strategy, of which the key purposes are to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer, and reduce inequalities with respect to cancer.

Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee
The focus of this committee is to reduce preventable deaths of children aged from 28 days to 24 years, with a view to reducing the number of deaths in this group, and to continuous quality improvement through the promotion of ongoing quality assurance programmes.

National Health Committee incorporating the Public Health Advisory Committee
The National Health Committee was established by statute to advise the Minister of Health on the kinds and relative priorities of public health services, personal health services and disability services that it believes should be publicly funded. The committee is also required to advise the Minister on personal health and regulatory matters relating to public health. The committee formulates its advice in consultation with the public and health service providers.

Health Information Strategy Advisory Committee (HISAC)
HISAC is a Ministerial Advisory Committee established to provide governance, oversight and leadership for the implementation of the Health Information Strategy for New Zealand (HIS-NZ). The New Zealand Health Information Standards Organisation (HISO) is a sub-committee of HISAC.
National Ethics Advisory Committee - the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability Support Services Ethics (NEAC)
NEAC's statutory functions are to provide advice to the Minister of Health on ethical issues of national significance regarding health and disability research and services, and to determine nationally consistent ethical standards and provide scrutiny for such research and services.

Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC)
PMMRC's purpose is to review and report to the Minister of Health on New Zealand's perinatal and maternal deaths, with a view to reducing the numbers of preventable deaths in these groups.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC)
PTAC considers clinical evidence around funding applications, and takes into account other issues before making recommendations to the PHARMAC Board. Its primary purpose is to provide PHARMAC with independent and objective advice on the pharmacological and therapeutic consequences of proposed amendments to the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) - formerly known as the National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee (EpiQual)
The role of the Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) is to provide advice to the Minister of Health on any health epidemiology and quality assurance matters. QIC was formerly known as the National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee (EpiQual).

Regional Ethics Committees of New Zealand
This site provides information for and about the New Zealand Health and Disability Ethics Committees.

The following committees have been disestablished:

Health Workforce Advisory Committee (HWAC)
HWAC was tasked with providing strategic advice to the Minister of Health on the health and disability workforce. The Health Workforce Advisory Committee (HWAC) concluded its work providing strategic advice to the Minister of Health on the health and disability workforce in September 2006.

Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health (MACCAH)
The purpose of the Committee was to advise the Minister of Health on issues to do with complementary and alternative health, and specifically to provide advice in areas such as regulation, consumer information needs, research, and integration. The Committee's term ended on 30 June 2004.

New Prescribers Advisory Committee (NPAC)
NPAC was established to assess applications for extending limited independent prescribing authority to new groups of health practitioners in New Zealand. The Committee also provided recommendations to the Minister of Health. It was disestablished on 7 July 2006. Its unconcluded business will be concluded through an alternative assessment process.

National Ethics Committee on Assisted Human Reproduction (NECAHR)
NECAHR no longer exists. In New Zealand, the area of assisted reproductive technology is now covered by two new committees - Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) and Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ECART).
Health-related Crown Entities

Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) - www.alcohol.org.nz
ALAC is a statutory body with the primary objective of encouraging and promoting moderation in the use of alcohol, the reduction and discouragement of the misuse of alcohol, and the minimisation of the personal, social and economic harm resulting from the misuse of alcohol. ALAC has the following mission statement: “Helping people make healthy choices about alcohol”.

Crown Health Financing Agency (CHFA) - www.chfa.govt.nz
The CHFA was established originally as the Residual Health Management Unit (RHMU) in 1993 to assume responsibility for all Area Health Board assets and liabilities. The CHFA currently has three key functions. Firstly to provide loan facilities to District Health Boards (DHBs) and offer financial advisory services focused on improving DHB financial performance, procurement capability and sector knowledge of asset performance. Secondly assisting DHBs to dispose of surplus property assets, and offering strategic property advice. Lastly it continues to manage residual functions relating to Area Health Boards, including outstanding legal claims.

Health and Disability Commissioner - www.hdc.org.nz
The Health and Disability Commissioner Act was enacted in October 1994. The Act created the Office of the Commissioner - with the role of promoting the rights and responsibilities of consumers and providers and to resolve complaints by fair processes and credible decisions to achieve just outcomes.

Health Research Council of New Zealand - www.hrc.govt.nz
The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) is the Crown agency responsible for the management of the Government's investment in public good health research. Ownership of the HRC resides with the Minister of Health, with funding being primarily provided from Vote Research, Science and Technology.

Health Sponsorship Council - www.healthsponsorship.co.nz
The Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) is a government agency that promotes health and healthy lifestyles by developing and delivering health promotion and marketing programmes.

Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) - www.esr.cri.nz
ESR provides a range of commercial scientific services from applied science and research, consultancy and analytical services, through to the provision of advanced scientific information systems

Mental Health Commission - www.mhc.govt.nz
The Mental Health Commission facilitates the implementation of the Blueprint for Mental Health Services in New Zealand. This is a national mental health service development plan, setting out the Commission's view of the changes needed to realise the objectives of the Government's national mental health strategy. The Blueprint provides a plan for a mental heath system that ensures good treatment and support for those affected by mental illness.

New Zealand Blood Service - www.nzblood.co.nz
New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) ensures the supply of safe blood products. NZBS takes the responsibility for the development of an integrated national blood transfusion process from the collection of blood from volunteer donors to the transfusion of blood products within the hospital environment - a ‘vein to vein’ transfusion service.

Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) (Department of Labour - www.osh.dol.govt.nz
The Department of Labour provides best practice information and guidance to assist New Zealand businesses with health and safety in the workplace. The Department of Labour also inspects workplaces to check on safety and health arrangements, investigates accidents at work, and makes sure employers and employees comply with health and safety legislation. They are responsible for regulating the storage and use of hazardous substances, explosives and dangerous goods, and for the safety of amusement devices.

PHARMAC (Pharmaceutical Management Agency) - www.pharmac.govt.nz
PHARMAC's objective is to secure for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals, the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the funding provided. It also has a function to promote the responsible use of pharmaceuticals, which includes communicating with health professionals to encourage optimal prescribing and health outcomes for patients and running patient information campaigns.



Ministry of Health Resources

These sites are mainly for internal Ministry use and by DHBs. They may require a password and authorisation to access content.

HealthEd (Health Education Resources) - www.healthed.govt.nz
This website provides access to health information such as pamphlets, factsheets, booklets and posters.



Guidelines

Referral Guidelines - see Elective Services website - www.electiveservices.govt.nz
Elective Services are hospital services for patients who do not need immediate hospital treatment. This website contains information about how well the 21 District Hospital Boards are progressing against government targets in the area of managing patients’ access to services. It also provides guidelines for primary care practitioners to assist them in managing patients and referring them to hospitals.

New Zealand Guidelines Group - www.nzgg.org.nz
The NZGG is an independent, not-for-profit organisation set up to promote effective delivery of health and disability services, based on evidence. An Advisory Board consisting of a Chair, vice Chair and Directors from around New Zealand governs the NZGG. The Board currently draws on leadership in nursing, Maori Health, Pacific Health, consumer representation, medicine, disability support, public health medicine and general practice.

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Page last updated: 18 December 2007