Exciting news coming out of NZ in relation to paramedic regulation and registration.

The New Zealand government has issued an Order in Council to designate paramedic services as a health profession under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. This will see the establishment of the Paramedic Council as the authority to regulate paramedic services.

It will be 12 to 18 months before suitably qualified paramedics in NZ will become registered paramedics under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.

See detail and link below:

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2019/0249/latest/whole.html

Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (Designation of Paramedic Services as Health Profession) Order 2019

1 Title
This order is the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (Designation of Paramedic Services as Health Profession) Order 2019.

2 Commencement
This order comes into force on 1 January 2020.

3 Paramedic services designated as health profession
Paramedic services are designated as a health profession.

4 Establishment of Paramedic Council
The Paramedic Council is established as the authority appointed in respect of the health profession of paramedic services.

Explanatory Note
This order, which comes into force on 1 January 2020, is made under section 115 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

This order—

• designates paramedic services as a health profession; and
• establishes the Paramedic Council as the authority appointed to regulate paramedic services.

The effect of this order is that, from 1 January 2020, paramedic services will be regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.