Pursuant to section 75(i) of the Veterinarians Act 2005, the Veterinary Council of New Zealand ("council") sets out in this notice* the following prescribed minimum standards for practising as a veterinarian:
1. Fitness to Practise
A veterinarian must be fit in order to maintain his or her practising certificate and to practise as a veterinarian in New Zealand.
Matters that may bring fitness to practise into question can include:
(a) mental or physical health conditions;
(b) any addictive or inappropriate taking of drugs or alcohol;
(c) any investigations, in New Zealand or overseas, by an employer, registration or professional body, educational institution or other authority (eg racing authority) relating to any matter that may be the subject of disciplinary proceedings;
(d) a formal competence enquiry by an employer or registration body;
(e) an adverse finding in any disciplinary action by an employer, registration or professional body, or other authority
(eg racing authority);
(f) being the subject of a police investigation and/or being the holder of a conviction in any criminal proceeding (including traffic offences involving alcohol and/or drugs), where the offence is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three months or longer; and
(g) being the holder of a conviction for any offence against the Veterinarians Act 2005, the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, the Animal Welfare Act 1981, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and subordinate legislation, and any other Act or subordinate legislation that has a direct bearing on the veterinary profession.
All persons are required to provide the council with a statement about their fitness to practise when they apply for registration or for a practising certificate.
The council may also examine a person (section 25(a)), require statutory declarations (section 25(b)), require other information (section 25(c)) and take various actions under specific, relevant sections of the Veterinarians Act 2005.
2. Competence to Practise
(a) Competency Standards
Pursuant to section 88(3) of the Veterinarians Act 2005, the council refers persons to the document "Competency Standards and Performance Indicators for Veterinarians" available on its website
www.vetcouncil.org.nz
and from the council’s office on request. This sets out the competency standards council expects veterinarians to meet, at the point of initial registration, and on an ongoing basis, and provides criteria against which an individual veterinarian’s performance may be measured.
(b) Recency of Practice
Non-recency of practice can impact on performance. All applicants for a practising certificate are required to provide the council with information on their recency of practice. In the following situations, the council, after consideration
of the individual circumstances of the case, may propose to decline or place conditions upon the applicant’s practising certificate (section 26(3)(c)) for:
- those who have not practised as a veterinarian for the last three consecutive years, or have not practised as a veterinarian for the last three consecutive years in the area in which they intend to practise; and
- those who hold a recognised qualification or a pass in a prescribed examination or assessment programme
(section 6) but have not:
- practised as a veterinarian for one or more years subsequent to gaining registration; or
- practised for one or more years in the area in which they intend to practise subsequent to gaining registration.
(c) Continuing Professional Development
The council requires all veterinarians to maintain and enhance their performance by engaging in continuing professional development activities. Pursuant to section 88(3) of the Veterinarians Act 2005, the council refers persons to the document "Continuing Professional Development - Guidance for Veterinarians" available on its website
www.vetcouncil.org.nz
and from the council’s office on request. This sets out the continuing professional development standards council expects veterinarians to meet.
Under section 25, when considering an application for a practising certificate, the council may require the applicant to provide any document or information that the council considers, on reasonable grounds, is necessary to assess his or her application.
The council will use this section to monitor veterinarian’s compliance with the continuing professional development declarations made in their annual practising certificate declarations. Section 26 may be used in situations of
non-compliance.
*This notice replaces the notice published in the New Zealand Gazette, 25 February 2010, No. 22, page 520. The changes relate to:
- additions to the fitness to practise requirements to reflect:
- any investigations, in New Zealand or overseas, by an employer, or registration or professional body or educational institution or other authority (eg racing authority) relating to any matter that may be the subject of disciplinary proceedings; or
- Veterinarians Act 2005, section 50(1)(a) grounds for discipline;
- the council’s decision to amend its consideration of the situation of veterinarians with non-recency of practice from five to three years, consistent with the provisions of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003; and
- the council’s decision to require all veterinarians to engage in activities to maintain and enhance their performance and to monitor compliance.