New Zealand Legislation: Acts

17 National health epidemiology and quality assurance advisory committee

• (1) The Minister must appoint a committee established under section 11 to advise the Minister on any health epidemiology and quality assurance matters.

  (2) The advice given by the committee to the Minister under subsection (1) is to be formulated after consultation by the committee with DHBs and other persons involved in the provision of services and any other persons that the committee considers appropriate.

  (3) The advice from the committee to the Minister may deal with any health epidemiology and quality assurance matter, but must specifically deal with morbidity and mortality issues concerning the following sectors:

  • (a) perinatal:

  • (b) infant:

  • (c) child and adolescent.

  (4) The Minister may, by written notice to the committee from time to time, direct the committee to provide advice to the Minister on the matter specified in that notice.

  (5) The committee, in providing advice to the Minister, must ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that there is national co-ordination in the reporting of relevant health epidemiology and quality assurance matters and that there is a capacity to improve health outcomes through quality assurance programmes directed to clinical providers.

  (6) In carrying out its functions under subsection (1), the committee must consider all reports from any mortality review committees established under section 18, and provide advice to the Minister as to appropriate quality assurance programmes to institute, and to respond to those and other relevant reports.

  (7) The committee must, at least once each year, deliver to the Minister a report setting out its advice on the matters referred to in subsections (1) to (6).

  (8) As soon as practicable after giving notice or receiving a report under this section, the Minister must present a copy of that notice or report to the House of Representatives.