Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA) 2003 provides a detailed framework for the regulation of the healthcare professionals in order to protect the best interest on the healthcare service users from potential risk (New Zealand Legislation, 2003).. The first part of the report aims to analyses the scope of the purpose of HPCCA (2003) and its significance underlying the role of the healthcare professionals practising in New Zealand. The second part of the report aims of highlight a range of healthcare professional roles under the process of healthcare delivery via exploration of different codes of ethics, professional standards of practice and scope of practice. Overall the report aims to emphasize the rationale underlying the HPCCA (2003).
Scope, Function and Significance of HPCCA (2003)
HPCAA 2003 New Zealand’s principal scope is to protect the health and safety of the members of the public via providing proper mechanism that ensures that the healthcare professionals are competent to and are fit in order to practice within the scope of their profession. The Act was passed by the Parliament of New Zealand on 11 September 2003 and received royal assent on 18th September on 2003 and was comprehensively enforced after one year, 18th September 2004. The Act seeks to attain this principle aim in order to accomplish its scope via providing consistent accountability regime for the healthcare professionals and proper determination of the scope of the practice for each healthcare professional. The act also seeks to ensure that none of the healthcare professional attempts to practice outside the scope of his or her medical practice and also provides power to the system in order to restrict specified activities under certain specified classes of health care professionals in order to protect the healthcare service uses from the risk of fatal or permanent health-related harm. The act also offers protections for the health care practitioners who take active part in the protection of the protection of quality assurance and protection to the additional group of healthcare practitioners who are indulge in framing as subsequent modifications of this pact (New Zealand Legislation, 2003). One of the scopes of the Act is to prevent unqualified persons serving as professional healthcare practitioner. In order to fulfil this, the Act does not provide provision for referrals by one healthcare professional for another individual to practice as a healthcare practitioner. Only a person holding a degree can submit their application via sating their full name, initials and other details in order apply for registration or practice license. Individual found breaking this law is subject to fine not exceeding $10,000 (Criminal Procedural Act Section 413, 2013). The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA) 2003 highlights that the healthcare practitioners must not practice outside the scope of their practice. Only relaxation for this norm will be given during emergency situation or practicing outside the scope of practice is done during course of training or assessment or competence review under the supervision of the concerned authority (New Zealand Legislation, 2003). HPCAA (2003) also promoted that a healthcare practitioner practice limit in only limited to his or her scope of practice and there are certain activities which are restricted to only particular group of healthcare professionals. Any healthcare practitioner is found to bridge this law is punishable against a fine limit of $30,000 (New Zealand Legislation, 2003).
Overall it can be said that the main significance of this Act is to improve the overall health care quality in New Zealand. For example, According to HPCAA (2003), a healthcare professional who is not registered officially under this act is not illegible for executing special healthcare acts like performing surgical or operative procedures below the gingival margin order over the mucous membrane or over the surface of the skin. The act also restricts the practice of the clinical procedure like insertion and maintenance of fixed orthodontic or maxillofacial prosthetic unless registered. An unregistered healthcare professional is not suitable or hold eligible by the law to perform high velocity of low amplitude manipulative techniques over the cervical spinal joints (Ministry of Health New Zealand, 2018). According to Godbold and Lees (2013) restricting the scope of practice as per the professional proficiency helps to improve the overall quality of healthcare via providing quality healthcare to the service users. Increase in the overall quality of healthcare in turn helps to reduce the healthcare cost and decrease in the length of stay of the hospital. Defining scope of practice for the healthcare professionals also help them to function in organised way and this creates a provision of proper therapy planning under the supervision of multidisciplinary team and thereby helping to improve the health related quality of life of the service users.
The Act mainly covers 11 occupational statutes governing 13 professions. A number of health professional groups are covered by HPCAA (2003) include Dentists, Chiropractors, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Optometrists. By 2005, the nurses are also included under the provision of this Act (New Zealand Nurses Organization, 2018). Thus all the healthcare professionals are not regulated under this however, this does not imply that profession lacks professional standards, Some profession are not included under this act because they pose minimal risk of harm to the public health or are under the supervision of other profession which are regulated under HPCAA (2003) (Ministry of Health New Zealand, 2018).
The scope of practice (SoP) for the dentist in New Zealand who is covered under HPCAA (2003) includes proper understanding of the physical, biological, cultural, social, and psychological factors in dentistry along with proper understanding of the patient’s information via use of effective communication skills and via the use of proper technological advancements like radiographs. Under the communication skills, the professional code of conduct of the dentists practising in New Zealand mainly highlights the importance of establishing good rapport with the patients via abiding empathy and this in turn will facilitate in patient health history taking and at the same time will help to maintain patient’s dignity. A dentist is also assigned to measure the clinical competency under periodontal management, surgical management and competence in radiology and use of local anaesthetics. A competent dental profession must also withhold proper knowledge regarding when to refer the patient via showing deep understanding of the prognosis of the treatment strategies. At the end the dentist is required to abide by the ethical principle as highlighted by the code of patient’s rights and privacy act and health information privacy code (Dental Council of New Zealand, 2018).
The codes of ethics as established by the Dental Council of New Zealand are in few instances identical with the code of ethics of for the physiotherapists operating in New Zealand. For example just like the dental council of New Zealand, the physiotherapists are also required to maintain the dignity and respect of the service users and their family members. They are also required to respect the patient confidentiality, along with privacy and security of the patient’s family members. Apart from this the principles of the code professional conduct of physiotherapy professional in New Zealand also promotes a constant strive for excellence under the boundaries of practice (Board, 2013). The physio-therapists are also required to communicate effectively with the patients and with their colleagues and other healthcare professionals and agencies in order to promote optimal benefit to their clients (The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, 2011). Moreover, it is also the role of a professional physiotherapist to take responsibility of their own health and well-being. This is again something different from the code of professional conduct of the dentists as it does strictly have any rules or norms stating the promotion of the health and well-being of the healthcare professionals. At the end, it is the professional duty of the physiotherapist to accept the responsibility and patient health while staying accountable for their own decision in order to uphold the integrity of the profession (The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, 2011).
Thus overall both the dental profession and the profession of physiotherapy are required to practice in a safe and competent manner while acting with integrity under the all professional code of practice and thereby helping to treat the people fairly. This concept underlying the code of professional conduct of dentist and physiotherapy profession is the main scope of HPCAA (2003). HPCAA promotes practice of the healthcare professionals within their desired scope of practice. According to Godbold and Lees (2013), if the healthcare professionals are guided by a defined scope of practice, it increases their overall competency in the said profession and thereby helping to improve the overall health-related outcome.
Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion, it can be concluded that the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA) 2003 provides a detailed set of rules and regulations for the healthcare professionals operating in New Zealand. Its main aim is to lay a detailed norm so that the healthcare professionals practice with the scope of their practice. Moreover, another norm of this act include that only registered health care professionals are eligible for professional practice. Not all the healthcare professions are covered under this ground. The healthcare profession which are covered under this act include Dentists, Chiropractors, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Optometrists. The significance of this act is to improve the overall quality of care of healthcare. The analysis of the report also highlighted that main similarity between the profession of physiotherapist and dentist under the professional code of conduct is observance of patient’s safety and confidentially. However, the code of professional code of conduct of physiotherapy also aims to promote health and well-being of the professionals.
References
Board, N. Z. P. (2013). Scopes of practice and qualifications for psychologists registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.
Criminal Procedural Act Section 413, (2013). Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0048/latest/DLM203380.html
Dental Council of New Zealand. (2018). Scope of practice competencies for dentists. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.dcnz.org.nz/i-practise-in-new-zealand/dentists-and-dental-specialists/scope-of-practice-competencies/
Godbold, R., & Lees, A. (2013). Ethics education for health professionals: a values based approach. Nurse education in practice, 13(6), 553-560
Ministry of Health New Zeland. (2018). Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/health-practitioners-competence-assurance-act
New Zealand Legislation. (2003).Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0048/latest/DLM203811.html
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (2018). Workplace Rights Introduction. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.nzno.org.nz/support/workplace_rights/hpca
The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. (2011). Aotearoa New Zealand Physiotherapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Access date: 17th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.physioboard.org.nz/sites/default/files/NZ_Physiotherapy_Code_of_Ethics_final_0.pdf
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