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2.0
Role of the Health and
Disability Commissioner
2.1 Purpose and role
The HDC was established under the Health
and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 to
promote and protect the rights of health
and disability services consumers. The
rights of consumers are set out in the
Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights 1996 (the Code).
The Code places corresponding obligations
on all providers of health and disability
services, including both registered and
unregistered providers, in respect of
those consumer rights.
There are ten rights in the Code,
which cover the following key aspects
of service provision:
1. respect
2. fair treatment
3. dignity and independence
4. appropriate standard of care
5. effective communication
6. full information
7. informed choice and consent
8. support
9. teaching and research
10. complaints.
HDC promotes and protects the rights of
consumers in two key ways: by resolving
complaints about infringements of those
rights, and through education of both
consumers and providers.
Vision
Champions of consumers’ rights.
Wawata
Kai kokiri i nga tika kai hokohoko.
Mission
Resolution, protection, and learning.
Whainga
Whakataunga, whakamaru me
te akoranga.
The HDC approaches its complaint
resolution role with a focus on learning
and quality improvement. The HDC uses
complaints as a means of promoting
system improvements that support the
vision of a consumer-centred system.
Many complaints are resolved directly
between the consumer and the provider,
with free independent advocates available
to assist consumers with this process.
More serious complaints may be formally
investigated by HDC and, in a small number
of serious cases, may result in a prosecution
being taken against a provider by the
independent Director of Proceedings in the
Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal
and/or the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
HDC ANNUAL REPORT 2012
7