This Bill seeks to improve health and social results for infants and children by requiring that newborns are enrolled with a general practice and primary health organisation before the newborn is due for his or her first immunisation at 6 weeks of age. Higher rates of newborn enrolment with a general practice are linked with improved immunisation rates and earlier detection of health and social issues.

Clause by clause analysis

Clause 1 is the Title clause.

Clause 2 provides that the Bill comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

Clause 3 provides definitions of terms used in the Bill.

Clause 4 sets out how a pre-enrolment request is made.

Clause 5 states the actions required when a general practice receives a pre-enrolment request.

Clause 6 describes the process to follow if a nominated general practice is at full patient capacity, or there is another good reason why enrolment cannot be completed, when it receives a pre-enrolment request.

Clause 7 provides for a newborn who is not eligible for enrolment to continue to receive fully funded immunisations if desired, because children are eligible for these irrespective of their eligibility for enrolment.

Dr Parmjeet Parmar

Newborn Enrolment with General Practice Bill

Member’s Bill

262—1

	Explanatory note
1	Title
2	Commencement
3	Interpretation
4	How pre-enrolment request made
5	What nominated general practice must do when pre-enrolment request received
6	Process if nominated general practice unable to enrol newborn when pre-enrolment request received
7	Newborn not eligible for enrolment

The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows:

1 Title

This Act is the Newborn Enrolment with General Practice Act 2017.

2 Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

3 Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

DHB has the meaning given to it in section 6(1) of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000

enrolment, in relation to a newborn, means that he or she—

(a)

is enrolled with a general practice and a primary health organisation; and

(b)

is confirmed as eligible for publicly-funded health and disability services

general practice means a multidisciplinary team whose members—

(a)

have the complementary knowledge and skills of medical practitioners and nurses; and

(b)

may include other health practitioners; and

(c)

work together to provide primary health care to improve the health of the enrolled population

lead maternity care provider means a person selected by a woman to provide her lead maternity care, and is—

(a)

a registered midwife, an obstetrician, or a general practitioner who has a Diploma in Obstetrics (or its equivalent, as determined by the New Zealand College of General Practitioners); and

(b)

either a lead maternity care provider in his or her own right, or an employee or contractor of a lead maternity care provider

pre-enrolment, in relation to a newborn, means that—

(a)

he or she is preliminarily enrolled with a general practice; and

(b)

publicly-funded health and disability services begin for him or her and continue for at least 1 financial quarter; and

(c)

the general practice has the period of 1 financial quarter within which to ensure the newborn’s enrolment to continue funding

registered, in relation to a newborn, means that he or she:

(a)

is listed on a general practice register:

(b)

is entitled to publicly-funded health and disability services:

(c)

does not receive subsidised health care

registered midwife means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Midwifery Council established by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of midwifery

responsible practitioner, in relation to a newborn, means the relevant—

(a)

DHB maternity service; or

(b)

lead maternity care provider.

4 How pre-enrolment request made

A newborn’s responsible practitioner must, before the newborn is discharged from the hospital or from maternity care,—

(a)

consult the newborn’s mother and any other family members the responsible practitioner considers appropriate about which general practice to nominate as the newborn’s primary health care provider; and

(b)

send a pre-enrolment request on behalf of the newborn to the nominated general practice; and

(c)

ensure that the request is entered into the maternity system.

5 What nominated general practice must do when pre-enrolment request received

(1)

Within 2 weeks of receiving a newborn’s pre-enrolment request, a general practice must, unless section 6 applies,—

(a)

take action to ensure the newborn is pre-enrolled with the practice as his or her primary health care provider; and

(b)

take any other action required to ensure that—

(i)

the pre-enrolment takes effect in the maternity system; and

(ii)

the enrolment process for the newborn is set in progress; and

(c)

the newborn receives the 6-week immunisation pre-calls.

(2)

The general practice must take the actions referred to in subsection (1)—

(a)

within 2 weeks of receiving the newborn’s pre-enrolment request; and

(b)

prior to the 6-week immunisation pre-calls and immunisation event, if the request is received before the newborn reaches 6 weeks of age.

6 Process if nominated general practice unable to enrol newborn when pre-enrolment request received

(1)

This section applies only if a nominated general practice is working at full patient capacity, or there is another good reason why enrolment cannot be completed, when it receives a pre-enrolment request made on behalf of a newborn.

(2)

The general practice must—

(a)

consult the newborn’s caregiver and any other family members the provider considers appropriate as to another preferred general practice; and

(b)

supply a list of general practices in the newborn’s area of residence if so requested; and

(c)

if the family chooses another general practice, refer the pre-enrolment request to that general practice.

(3)

If the nominated general practice is unable to assist the family in finding another primary health care provider, it must refer the pre-enrolment request to the relevant DHB and primary health organisation.

(4)

The DHB and primary health organisation that receive a referral under subsection (3) are responsible for assisting the family to pre-enrol the newborn with another provider prior to the newborn reaching 6 weeks of age.

7 Newborn not eligible for enrolment

A nominated general practice that receives a pre-enrolment request from a newborn who is not eligible for enrolment must change the newborn’s status in the maternity system to either registered or casual, as the case may be, so that the newborn may receive fully-funded immunisations, if desired.

Newborn Enrolment with General Practice Bill