Health Act 1956

Administration - Health districts

22: Certain officers to have functions of medical officers of health

You could also call this:

"Some health leaders can do the jobs of medical officers of health to help keep people healthy."

If you are the Director-General of Health and you are a doctor with the right experience in public health, you can do all the jobs of a medical officer of health anywhere in New Zealand. You can make decisions and take actions to help keep people healthy. If you are the Director-General of Health but you are not a doctor, you need to choose a doctor who works with you and has the right experience in public health to do these jobs.

If you are in charge of public health and you are a doctor who specialises in public health, you can do the jobs of a medical officer of health anywhere in New Zealand. You get to make decisions and take actions to help keep people healthy. This is part of the law, which was changed by the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306574.


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21: Evidence of authority of medical officer or health protection officer, or

"Medical officers and health protection officers don't need to show ID to prove they can do their job"


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22A: Powers of departmental officers under Factories and Commercial Premises Act 1981, or

"What departmental officers can and can't do in workplaces is no longer part of this law."

Part 1Administration
Health districts

22Certain officers to have functions of medical officers of health

  1. Every person who holds the office of Director-General of Health shall, if that person is a medical practitioner suitably experienced and qualified in public health medicine, have all the functions of a medical officer of health, and may exercise those functions in any part of New Zealand.

  2. Every person who holds the office of Director-General of Health and is not a medical practitioner suitably experienced and qualified in public health medicine shall designate a medical practitioner or medical practitioners who is or are employed in the Ministry and who is or are suitably experienced and qualified in public health medicine to exercise the functions of a medical officer of health in any part of New Zealand.

  3. A person who holds office as Director of Public Health has the functions of a medical officer of health and may exercise them in any part of New Zealand if they are a medical practitioner specialising in public health.

Notes
  • Section 22: replaced, on , by section 143(1) of the Medical Practitioners Act 1995 (1995 No 95).
  • Section 22(3): inserted, on , by section 104 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 (2022 No 30).