24203 (2025). Hūhana Lyndon to the Minister of Health

24203 (2025). Hūhana Lyndon to the Minister of Health: Will his regulation of Physician Associates require culturally safe care for patients, and if not, why not?

Hon Simeon Brown: I refer the Member to section 118 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. As the Member will be aware, our Government is currently considering changes to the Act to ensure that patients receive access to timely, quality healthcare from the most qualified professionals for the job, while recognising that New Zealand is a multicultural country and that healthcare workers should be enabled to meet the unique needs of their patients. This places a strong emphasis on ensuring clinical safety and is a key part of our focus on putting patients first.