Psychotherapists in the dark over board's mass resignation

Psychotherapists are still in the dark about why the Board that regulates their profession resigned en masse.

Two weeks ago it was revealed that all six members of the Board had left and that the Ministry of Health was assessing potential candidates to reconstitute the board.

Association of Psychotherapists says it has received no information about questions over governance or the reasons behind the mass resignation.

The President of the Association of Psychotherapists is John O'Connor told Nine to Noon he believed the resignations and the governments proposed changes to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act of 2003 were linked, something the Ministry of Health denies.

"Sadly, we know very little... neither the board nor the Ministry of Health have made any public comment on why the board has resigned.

"This has... taken me to the view that there is very likely an association between the boards decision to resign and the direction the current government is taking with health professionals at this time.

"In particular, the proposed amendments that are being put forward for the Health Practitioners Assurance Act, which governs the regulation of health professionals in New Zealand."

O'Connor said a recent audit of the board and its functions were "excellent" and reflected a "well functioning board".

"We do not know anything at all [about why the board resigned]."

He said he understood there were confidentiality requirements on the board, but didn't know why these confidentiality agreements existed.

'Great deal of concern, uncertainty'

O'Connor said the lack of information around the Board's resignation was concerning.

"Of course it creates a great deal of concern and uncertainty because this is within an environment in which the current government is proposing changes to the regulation of health practitioners.

"We don't know if... we can rely on the board being reconstitution with people who are appropriate, within a very specialist mental health service."

The Amendment Bill

If passed, the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill would run the risk of regulatory medical authorities becoming a "leaver of government policy", O'Connor said.

According to the Amendment Bill, it's key objectives are:

Better align health workforce regulation with patient needs, health system policy and government priorities

Ensure that regulation is responsive to support innovative health services

Ensure efficient recognition and registration of health practitioners

Regulators would be subject to accountability and directive requirements, similar to Crown agents.

A ministerial committee would also be established, with the power to review an authority's decision to refuse a practitioner's registration and certain decisions relating to scopes of practice.

"The [Health Minister Simeon Brown] brought out a consultation on these proposed amendments a year ago and we wrote a letter along with nine other leaders of health professional associations pointing out our great concern that the consultation of these amendments was very flaws and clearly ideologically driven - that was not listened too," O'Connor said.

"The amendments would enable the Minister to direct health regulatory authorities too follow the health policy of the government of the day. That to me and to us runs the risk that regulatory authorities become a leaver of government policy which is not the role of regulators.

"If you combine that with the proposed amendment that there will be a review tribunal that can not only review but overturn regulators decisions. That in our view puts far too much power in the hands of politicians to overrule regulators decisions."

Almost anything could be overturned be the proposed review tribunal, he said.

"It comes far too close to government interference... it's deeply concerning to us."

O'Connor also said the Minister was also proposing to remove "the demonstration of cultural competency in relation to developing effective working relationships with Māori".

"He's arguing that it's because cultural competency is nothing to do with clinical competency. In our view you can't separate cultural competency with clinical competency," he said.

"It is absurd."

O'Connor believes the new board will be appointed by mid-August.

Ministry responds

A Ministry of Health spokesperson told Nine to Noon it had been looking into governance concerns that it had been raising with the board since last year.

It said while it had been looking into governance concerns in connection with the Pyschotherapists Board, this is in no way connected to any work underway in relation to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill.

It said the Ministry was currently assessing potential candidates to reconstitute the Board.

"During this time the Board's core functions continue to be performed by its operational staff with oversight from the Ministry."

The Ministry said the Board's operational staff were responsible for communications with stakeholders and it had provided feedback on draft documents.

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