ACC Medical Accidents ‘No Fault’ at last - 30 Years On
New Zealand now has “no fault” accident compensation, 30 years after the world-leading scheme was established, Council
of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.
ACC Minister Ruth Dyson has announced a revamp of the medical misadventure provisions. Medical misadventure will be
replaced by a new category called treatment injury which will remove the requirement to prove a medical accident before
a patient is entitled to ACC cover.
Ross Wilson, who is a former ACC deputy chairperson, said the excellent consultation process by Ruth Dyson and officials
has produced a result which removes an anomaly in the scheme, and has the potential to improve patient safety and speed
up the claims process.
“It is a welcome change, after the punitive ACC legislation of the 1990s, to see improvements to the scheme which
reflect the original concepts,” Ross Wilson said.
“There is still some way to go in improving the design and performance of ACC but this change is an important step
forward.
“As we approach the 30th anniversary of our ACC scheme on April 1, 2004, it is a signal that the political leadership of
ACC is on good hands,” he said.