Pursuant to section 35 of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 ("the Act"), I, Anthony Hill, Deputy Director-General, Regulation & Governance Directorate, Ministry of Health ("the Ministry") under delegation from the Director-General of Health, amend the designation of Verification New Zealand Limited, Bureau Veritas
(New Zealand) Limited, The DAA Group Limited, Telarc SAI Limited, Health and Disability Auditing
New Zealand Limited and International Certifications Limited (the "Designated Auditing Agency" ("DAA")) to audit the provision or likely future provision of the following kinds of health care services, make the designation it effects subject to amended conditions and make the designation it effects subject to new conditions:
- Hospital Care (as defined in section 4(1) of the Act);
- Rest Home Care (as defined in section 6(2) of the Act); and
- Residential Disability Care (as defined in section 4(1) of the Act).
This designation is subject to the following conditions:
1. The DAA must comply with the relevant requirements
of the DAA Handbook issued by the Ministry and updated from time to time.
2. Promptly after giving a certified provider or prospective provider an audit report, the DAA must:
- complete the Ministry of Health Audit Report Tool and provide an electronic copy to the Ministry; and
- provide a summary of the audit report to the Ministry (refer to condition 9).
3. The DAA must provide any information about the auditing of health care services pursuant to the Act if requested in writing by the Ministry.
4. During the term of the DAA’s designation, the DAA
will allow the Ministry to audit or to commission the undertaking of audits or reviews of the DAA. This could also include attending audits being undertaken by the DAA. The Ministry may or may not notify the DAA of any audit or review.
5. The DAA must immediately notify the Ministry in writing of any significant change to the DAA, including but not restricted to:
- any change in ownership and/or control of the legal entity;
- any change in management personnel;
- any change in pricing;
- any change to the Auditor Register (refer to condition 8); and
- any change in the status of any third party accreditation the DAA may hold including evidence of such accreditation and copies of any Third Party Accreditation Audit Reports or notifications in respect of their accreditation.
6. The DAA must conduct as a minimum at least one annual:
- internal audit that focuses on the DAA’s auditing activities undertaken pursuant to the Act, together with a compliance audit against the requirements of the DAA as set out in the Act; and
- management review in respect of the DAA’s programmes operated pursuant to the Act.
7. The DAA shall at all times operate an internal appeals system which is documented and conveyed in writing to all clients. Auditable records of the facts and outcomes of all client appeals shall be maintained by the DAA. The DAA must provide these records in writing to the Ministry when requested by the Ministry.
8. The DAA must provide in writing, in a timely manner when requested by the Ministry, the details of the name, auditing qualifications and experience and, if relevant, the area of clinical or service competency of each auditor or technical expert approved by the DAA to undertake audits pursuant to the Act.
9. The DAA must provide all documentation to the Ministry in the form prescribed by the Ministry.
10. The DAA must publish information in relation to its pricing and fee structure and ensure that information is available across the sector to enable service providers to obtain and compare prices. A DAA must, at a minimum, publish the information on its website and/or in a brochure. The Ministry intends to publish the information on its website.
11. The DAA must hold third party accreditation with a Ministry-approved third party accreditation body.
This notice revokes and replaces in its entirety the notice that designated Verification New Zealand Limited, Bureau Veritas (New Zealand) Limited, The DAA Group Limited, Telarc SAI Limited, Health and Disability Auditing New Zealand Limited and International Certifications Limited made pursuant to section 32 of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 and published in the New Zealand Gazette, 28 May 2009, No. 76, page 1784.
Dated at Wellington this 18th day of May 2010.
ANTHONY HILL, Deputy Director-General, Regulation
& Governance Directorate, Ministry of Health.