The Health Funding Authority (HFA) is reviewing the systems public hospitals use to ensure that their medical staff have
the correct qualifications and experience to do the job they are employed for. This project, to be completed by
November, will look at the processes public hospitals use to employ medical practitioners and allocate responsibilities
(credentialling) and the review process used (recredentialling).
A project team based at the University of Auckland School of Medicine is undertaking the work. The project steering
group includes specialist medical opinion representing national interests.
HFA Personal Health spokeswoman Gillian Bohm said the project would not look at issues of medical education and
competence, which were managed by the professional bodies such as the Medical Council and specialist vocational
colleges.
"Rather it looks at systems in place to support doctors in their work so that the hospital and the HFA can be assured
that quality systems exist at an organisational level."
"Some public hospitals have well-developed systems, and the HFA believes there is considerable potential to share these
ideas with other organisations," Ms Bohm said.
An important part of this project is to look at ways in which the credentialling process impacts on public confidence. A
number of health consumer groups will be involved during the course of the study. Ms Bohm said this project complemented
work being done by the medical profession and was welcomed by doctors who saw it as having advantages for medical
practitioners and their patients.
The HFA will use the recommendations to assist public hospitals and the medical profession to develop medical
credentialling in New Zealand.
Ends