About
Leading medico-legal minds discuss the latest developments in the law relating to medical care
Anthony Hill, Health and Disability Commissioner
Katie Elkin and Cordelia Thomas, Office of the HDC
Prof Peter Skegg, University of Otago
Prof Grant Gillett, University of Otago Medical School
Other relevant medico-legal and ethical challenges include:
• Practitioner competency and rehabilitation
• Fast tracking of clinical trials
• The Medicines Act and the challenges of new technologies
• Protecting personal health information
Gain even more from:
• Peer-to-peer group discussions
• Direct access to legal experts
Agenda
Agenda: Day 1
8.30
Registration & Coffee
9.00
Opening remarks from the Chair
Peter Skegg, Professor of Law, University of Otago
9.10
Informed consent and the competency of patients to make decisions
• The responsibility to communicate treatment options available
• Deciding on the competency to understand treatment
• Maintaining patient confidentiality while establishing competency
• Issues relating to patient demand or refusal of treatment
Iris Reuvecamp, Senior Associate, Buddle Findlay
9.55
End of life decisions and enduring power of attorney
• The decisions that can be made about continuing or stopping medical treatment
• The EPOA and advance directives
• What happens when the patient lacks competency and doesn’t have an EPOA?
Annette Gray, Partner, Buchanan Gray
10.40
Morning tea
11.00
Advance care planning
• The Advance Care Planning guide
• Some risks as well as benefits of advance care planning
• Advance care planning and degrees of competency to make decisions
Dr MaryLeigh Moore, Senior Lecturer Medical Law and Ethics, University of Otago
11.45
The precedence of a right to life in deciding cases
• The role of families in deciding the best outcome for patients
• The importance of an advance directive rather than informal statements in deciding the patient’s wishes
• The use of formal assessment tools in diagnosing a patient’s true condition
• The framework for bringing these matters to Court
Wendy Aldred, Barrister, Waterfront Chambers
12.30
Lunch
1.20
Clinical case scenarios: We break into groups to explore the themes from this morning’s discussions with our legal experts.
Penny Andrew, Senior Associate, Buddle Findlay
Wendy Aldred, Barrister, Waterfront Chambers
1.50
The implications of the Muliaga case for nurse practitioners
• Accountability in multidisciplinary teams
• Informed consent and the right of family members to know the truth about a patient’s condition
• The effect of the complaint for the individual and nurse practitioners generally
• The importance of good clinical records
Diana Hart, Respiratory Nurse Practitioner, Middlemore Hospital
2.35
Expanding the scope of practice for medical professionals
• What are the implications of this trend for practitioners and their supervisors
• The responsibilities of those acting as supervisors
• The recent technical amendments made by the Statutory References Bill to update scope of practice requirements
Penny Andrew, Senior Associate, Buddle Findlay
3.20
Afternoon tea
3.35
Protecting the confidentiality of repositories of personal health information
• The increasing breadth of information being collected and held
• The balance between privacy and accessibility
• Arrangements for the use and disclosure of personal information when the patient’s immediate and current consent cannot be sought and obtained
• Issues for individuals accessing their own health information, or the information of relatives or associates
• The governance of information held collectively
• The associated uses of information: teaching, research, quality improvement and funding
Ross Boswell, Clinical Director of IT, Counties Manukau DHB
4.40
Examining the proposed fast-tracking of clinical trials
• The proposed changes
• Will the robustness of the current system be maintained to protect research patients?
• What about the findings of the Cartwright inquiry?
Grant Gillett, Professor of Medical Ethics Otago Bioethics Centre, University of Otago Medical School
5.15
End of day one & networking drinks
Agenda: Day 2
9.00
Welcome back from the Chair
Peter Skegg, Professor of Law, University of Otago
9.05
Keynote: Future challenges and objectives: The Health and Disability Commissioner
Anthony Hill, Health & Disability Commissioner, Office of the Health & Disability Commissioner
9.45
Overview of recent decisions by the Health and Disability Commissioner
Katie Elkin, Chief Legal Advisor, Office of the Health & Disability Commissioner
Cordelia Thomas, Specialist Senior Legal Advisor, Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner
10.30
Morning tea
10.50
Prescribing requirements for medical practitioners
New Zealand.
Rebecca Carajannis, Senior Solicitor, Russell McVeagh
11.40
A critique of rehabilitation under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act
Kate Diesfeld, Associate Professor Faculty of Law, Waikato University
12.25
Lunch
1.20
The Medicines Act and new technology
• The application of the Medicines Act as currently enacted to nanomedicines
• The next generation of nanomedicines
• Is the legislation keeping up with changes in the science?
Dr Jennifer Moore, Research Fellow Faculty of Law, University of Otago - Wellington
2.15
Improving the regulation of medicines and complementary therapies in New Zealand
• Amendments to the prescribing framework
• New category of delegated prescriber
• Pharmacists and podiatrists applying for designated prescriber status
• Revised standing order guidelines
• Generic substitution and medicines from vending machines
• New Code of Practice for the self-medication industry and changes to medicines advertising
• New system for regulation of low risk natural health products, herbal remedies and dietary supplements
• The establishment of a natural health products regulator within Ministry of Health
Fiona McCrimmon, Barrister, McCrimmon Law
3.00
Afternoon tea
3.15
Changes to the Privacy Act
• The exceptions for the use and disclosure of personal information when there is a serious threat
• Approved information sharing agreements to allow the use and sharing of information between agencies delivering public services
• Modifications to rule 12 and Sch 2 of the Health Information Privacy Code
• Regulating information derived from Guthrie Cards held by the Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme
Sebastian Morgan-Lynch, Senior Policy Adviser (Health), Office of the Privacy Commissioner
3.45
Changes to death certification
Dr Warren Young, Consultant, Law Commission
4.15
Closing remarks from the Chair and end of conference
Sponsors/Partners
Registered Charities and NGOs are eligible for an additional 25% discount. Please contact us via 09 912-3616 to this claim discount.
3rd delegate half price applies to this event:
Register three people from your organisation at the same time, and the third person receives 50% off.
| Dates | Location | Early bird price* | Standard price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Law Conference 26 - 27 March | Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington | $1995 + GST (EB Date: 13 February) | $2295 + GST | Register |
| Mental Health Law Conference 28 March | Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington | $1295 + GST (EB Date: 13 February) | $1495 + GST | Register |
| Both Conferences 26 - 28 March | Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington | $2995 + GST (EB Date: 13 February) | $3295 + GST | Register |
* Early bird price available when you register and pay before the dates listed.

