About the Medical Council for New Zealand

What does the MCNZ do?

The main purpose of the MCNZ is to promote and protect public health and safety in New Zealand. The MCNZ is governed by a Council and funding comes from the registration and practising fees paid by all practising doctors in New Zealand.

The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 defines the MCNZ role and purpose.

The MCNZ is responsible for:

• registering doctors
• setting standards and guidelines
• recertifying and promoting lifelong learning for doctors
• reviewing practising doctors where there are concerns about their performance, professional conduct or health.

They also:

• maintain a medical register of all registered doctors (practising and non-practising)
• issue practising certificates to doctors who have maintained their competence to continue practising medicine
• monitor the training of medical students and new doctors to ensure their medical education is appropriate
• require doctors to continue their medical education once they start working
• require doctors to receive treatment if they are suffering from an illness that is affecting their practice
• suspend a doctor’s practice if appropriate
• assess a doctor’s performance in response to concerns expressed by a patient or colleagues.

The MCNZ has strong and effective legal powers that allow them to maintain the standards the public have a right to expect of doctors.