The NZACA, with support from the Nursing Leadership Group (NLG), has completed its submission to Standards New Zealand, a directorate within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), on the draft health and disability services standards and sector solutions.
The Association has a number of concerns with the Standards in their present form and has provided comments specific to clauses across the six main parts of the Review:
Part 1 – Our Rights
Part 2 – Healthcare and support workers and structure
Part 3 – Pathways to Wellbeing
Part 4 – Person-centred and safe environment
Part 5 – Infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship
Part 6 – Restraint and Seclusion
The NZACA’s full submission can be viewed here.
Further, we encourage members to contact their designated auditing agency (DAA) to raise potential implications of the revised Standards on the auditing process. The NZACA has supplied a template letter to assist with this (log in required for members only site). Providers are welcome to amend the letter to include their own comments or concerns.
The sector consultation process closed on 13 January 2021. Submissions will be now be reviewed and the draft standard updated by the Health and Disability Services Standards Development Committee (on which the NZACA is represented by Rhonda Sherriff).
A further draft will then be circulated to Committee members to approve the new Standard (at least 80% consensus required for publication). Following this, the draft will be submitted to the Standards NZ Board for final approval.
More information about the review can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
