Sage Eugenie: Health Practitioners (Replacement of Statutory References to Medical Practitioners) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSage Eugenie: Health Practitioners (Replacement of Statutory References to Medical Practitioners) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 23 July 2015. Volume:707;Page:5321. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]EUGENIE SAGE (Green): The Health Practitioners (Replacement of Statutory References to Medical Practitioners) Bill is certainly a useful bill which the Green Party is pleased to support. It will change the relationship between New Zealanders and medical and health professionals. That is because it amends seven statutes to increase the range of functions that health practitioners can perform by changing references in the law from “medical practitioners” to “health practitioners”. That means that health practitioners can perform certain statutory responsibilities quite lawfully such as issuing certificates of the cause of death rather than medical certificates.As Barbara Kuriger noted this is certainly going to provide recognition of the range of skills that nurse practitioners have developed provide for more professional development and increase flexibility across the health system. It is a fact that we rely on health professionals very considerably for their knowledge and their skill and the bill recognises that both the medical and the wider health profession have evolved with time. We have now got new technology more advanced training techniques. Health practitioners particularly nurse practitioners are upskilling and diversifying their knowledge base and they are now capable of performing tasks that previously were solely the domain of medical professionals. The fact is that nurse practitioners have done this only to find that the law actually stymies them carrying out work so this bill is overdue.It will allow for a more flexible and efficient use of the health workforce and that is particularly important because of the deepening shortages in particular parts of the country—in rural areas for example. Because we have got a nationwide shortage of GPs who are available to work in rural areas when they go and make a visit to some areas they often find that a large chunk of their time in small communities may be taken up with quite laborious administrative tasks such as signing certificates for ACC for Work and Income. They are for the people whom the local rural practice nurse will often know much better and those nurses will be in a better position to sign those certificates.So the bill with the changes to the seven statutes will allow health practitioners to participate in ACC claimants’ individual rehabilitation plans and to take blood specimens from road users. And where an employee is required to provide to an employer proof of sickness or injury that person will be able to get a certificate from a registered health practitioner rather than from a medical practitioner which is currently the case.One of the interesting things in the bill I think too is the widening of the ability for the signing of certificates for the causes of death which at the moment is able to be done only by a medical practitioner.I think there may well be a concern by some that some sectors of the health profession may not have the competence and the necessary skills to sign off cause of death but there had been extensive consultation before the bill was introduced including with the Law Commission.I would draw people’s attention to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act because that makes it quite clear that health practitioners can perform only activities that they have got the expertise and capability to do.You cannot have people going beyond the functions that professionally they are identified as being able to do within the scope of their practice.So I think that the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act is a very important safeguard for people who may be concerned that some health professionals may be less responsible than medical practitioners.Certainly within that legislation you have responsible authorities that regulate health practitioners in any particular profession.They identify the scope of the practice and they identify the activities that each class of practitioner is deemed competent to undertake.That said we still look forward to the submissions to the select committee from professional organisations and colleges nurse practitioners and others to establish that the bill establishes flexibility in the right places and to the right degree and that there is overall support for the changes that the bill provides. But it is a very timely piece of legislation. I note Labour members’ comments about it being overdue but it certainly will provide a practical recognition that nurse practitioners have significantly diversified their skills.They play a hugely important role in the health system and the current law in these seven statutes by restricting their ability to take on roles where they have got the competence is overdue for reform. We support the bill. Thank you.