- The Medical Council is consulting on draft statements on Cultural Competence, Cultural Safety, and Hauora Māori – consultation closes 24 March.
- While respectful patient care is essential, parts of the drafts embed contested political ideas beyond clinical practice.
- Proposals require doctors to affirm beliefs about colonialism, privilege, or power structures.
- Doctors would be required to monitor and report colleagues’ perceived biases.
- Professional regulation should focus on patient care and competence, not political or activist advocacy.
- Make a submission: even a short note supporting respectful care while raising concerns about ideological overreach can help.
The Medical Council is currently consulting on two draft statements on Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety, and Hauora Māori (Māori health and wellbeing), which could significantly expand what is expected of doctors as part of their professional obligations.
While respectful care for all patients is essential, parts of the draft statements appear to go much further by embedding contested political and ideological concepts into medical regulation. These include expectations that doctors endorse particular views about colonialism, privilege, and power structures, and that they actively challenge perceived bias in themselves and others.
Professional regulators exist to protect patients and ensure professional competence, not to require adherence to political theories.
If adopted in their current form, these statements could set precedents that affect how doctors are assessed in the future, including potentially through recertification requirements.
The Medical Council needs to hear from a wide range of people – doctors and members of the public – before making decisions that may reshape professional expectations in medicine.
Please Make a Submission – Medical Council Consultation Closes 24 March
Even a short submission expressing support for respectful patient care while raising concerns about ideological overreach in medical regulation can have an impact.
You can have your say by completing the survey
You can also email your feedback to [email protected]
Equally important, communicate your concerns to the Minister of Health, Simeon Brown. Email: [email protected]
Or phone the Minister’s office at Parliament: 0800 7273 6282
Consultation documents:
• Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety – https://online.flippingbook.com/view/685519052/
• Statement on Hauora Māori – https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/Consultations/Cultural-safety-Consultation/Hauora-Maori-statement.pdf
Key Points to consider for submitting to the Medical Council draft statements - Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety / Hauora Māori
Support for respectful patient care
- I support the goal that all patients in New Zealand receive respectful, culturally competent medical care.
- Doctors should communicate effectively with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and treat all patients with dignity and fairness.
Existing law already requires cultural competence
- The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 already requires doctors to demonstrate cultural competence, including effective engagement with Māori patients.
- Additional statements should clarify good clinical practice, not introduce ideological requirements.
Professional regulators should not enforce ideology
- Statements in the draft documents would embed contested political theories about colonisation, privilege, and power structures.
- The role of the Medical Council is to protect patients and ensure professional competence, not to enforce political or ideological views.
Contested historical and political claims
- Assertions that Māori health outcomes are primarily the result of colonisation or “dominant culture” are political interpretations that remain contested.
- Doctors should not be required to endorse political narratives as part of their professional obligations.
Concerns about compelled beliefs
- The statements risk compelling doctors to affirm ideological positions relating to race relations, colonialism, or privilege.
- The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act protects freedom of expression, including the right not to be compelled to express views one does not hold.
Requirement to challenge colleagues
- The requirement that doctors actively challenge their own bias and that of others risks creating pressure to monitor or report colleagues based on ideological interpretations rather than clinical competence.
- This could undermine collegiality and trust within the profession.
Activist expectations go beyond clinical care
- Suggestions that doctors should use their professional privilege to “dismantle unfair systems and power imbalances” move beyond medical practice into political or activist roles.
- Doctors should not be required to participate in social or political advocacy as a condition of professional practice.
Risk of future compliance requirements
- If these frameworks become embedded in regulatory standards, there is a risk that doctors may eventually be required to demonstrate ideological compliance as part of recertification.
Focus should remain on patient care
- Guidance from the Medical Council should focus on:
- respectful communication with patients
- fair access to care
- high clinical standards
- evidence-based medicine.
Request to revise the draft statements
- The Medical Council should revise the statements so that they:
- focus on practical cultural competence in clinical care
- avoid embedding contested political theories
- respect professional diversity of opinion
- remain consistent with the Council’s statutory role.
You can have your say by completing the Medical Council's survey
Alternatively, email your feedback to [email protected]
A brief submission template is available HERE
Or visit the Hobson’s Pledge website to send a submission directly to the Medical Council. See:
https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/medical-council-consults-on-cultural-competence
Commentary
Free Speech Union: Believe This or Lose Your License: Medical Council’s New Ultimatum to Doctors