Health Consumer Rights and Advocacy

• Pharmaceutical funding for patient advocacy groups - WHW June 2006

• Introducing Rae Lamb - new Health and Disability Commissioner - WHU November 2005

• Health & Disability Commissioner's 2004 Annual Report causes controversy - WHU January 2005

• Back to the bad-old days of the medical protection racket Phillida Bunkle discusses the Health Professionals Competency Assurance Bill which has finally emerged after months of secret negotiations between the Government and health professional groups, to the exclusion of consumer interests.

• Advocacy after five years, text of address by Tania Thomas, Director of Advocacy,in the Office of the health Commissioner, Cartwright Anniversary event 6 August 2001, WHW Sept 2001

• Informed consent breaches after death of woman on the Pill, WHU July 2001

• New Director of Advocacy, interview with Tania Thomas, WHW March 2001

• Gisborne again (critique of report on Gisborne Hospital by Health Commissioner), WHW March 2001

• Health prosecutor: the role of the Director of Proceedings, WHW Dec 2000

• Notes from the 12th year, text of address by Ron Paterson, newly appointed Health Commissioner, 5 August 2000, WHW Sept 2000

• There but for the grace of God (why health professionals do not report incompetent colleagues) - by Ron Paterson, WHW June 2000

• Review of the Health Commissioner Act and Code of Health & Disability Consumers Rights, WHA Submission 1999

• New Code of Rights launched (final result of Code drafting process, Code in force from 1 July 1996), WHW Sept 1996

• Advocacy service to start (commencement of nationwide advocacy service),WHW April 1996

• Draft Code with the Minister (report on the draft Code of Rights delivered to the Minister of Health by Robyn Stent, Health Commissioner), WHW Dec 1995

• Proposed draft Code released by Health Commissioner (critique of the Draft Code of Rights put out by Health Commissioner, Robyn Stent, for submissions), WHW September 1995

• Health Commissioner and the Code of Patients Rights (outline of process that will be followed in drafting the Code of Health Consumers' Rights), WHW March 1995

• Health & Disability Commissioner Act passed and Commissioner appointed (comment on the final form of the Health Commissioner Act and the appointment of the first Commissioner, Robyn Stent), Dec 1994

• Health & Disability Commissioner (report on status of Health Commissioner Bill and attributes needed in Health Commissioner), WHW Sept 1994

• Health Commissioner Bill (Report on 2nd reading of bill), WHW June 1994

• Opposition to changes to Health Commissioner Bill (report on changes introduced by Bill Birch, Minister of Health, to water down bill), WHW Sept 1993

• Health Commissioner Bill (report that bill has been before Select Committee for two years), WHW March 1993

• The Health Commissioner Bill and the Medical Practitioners Bill (report on progress on the Health Commissioner Bill and a review by lawyer Margaret Vennell, fears that patient advocates may be removed from Bill), WHW Oct/Nov 1992

• The role of the Health Commissioner, paper by Sandra Coney given a National Medico-Legal Conference in August 1992, WHW Oct/Nov 1992

• Health Commissioner update (report that Minister of Health Simon Upton has appointed lawyer Margaret Vennell to write an options paper on the Health Commissioner Bill, introduced in 1990), WHW July 1992

• Health Commissioner Bill in jeopardy (report on objections to the bill by medical interests, report on similar processes in Australia), WHW March/April 1992

• Health Commissioner Bill (report on introduction of bill and contents, reactions from medical interests), FATN April 1991