Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Protecting Your Rights When Using Health and Disability Services"

Illustration for Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994

This law is about promoting and protecting your rights when you use health services or disability services. It aims to help keep you safe and make sure you get the care you need. You have the right to receive good care and be treated with respect. When you use these services, you should be treated with dignity and respect. The law is in place to make sure your rights are protected. The law is designed to promote and protect your rights in particular, which means it focuses on making sure you are treated fairly and with respect when you are using health or disability services.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM333583.

This page was last updated on 12 December 2025 — View changes

Highlights from this law

31: General right to make complaints

You can complain if you think a healthcare or disability service has done something wrong

34: Referral of complaint to agencies or persons involved in health or disability sector

The Commissioner can send your complaint to other people or groups who can help fix the problem.

40: Commissioner may investigate breaches

The Commissioner checks if healthcare providers are following the rules and treats people fairly.

43: Information about result of investigation

The Commissioner tells you what they found out after looking into a complaint.

50: Proceedings before Human Rights Review Tribunal

What happens if a healthcare or disability worker breaks the rules and someone complains to the Human Rights Review Tribunal

51: Aggrieved person may bring proceedings before Tribunal

You can take a complaint to the Tribunal if you're upset and the rules weren't followed.

19: Commissioner to prepare draft Code

The Commissioner writes a draft of rules for healthcare users and shares it with the government.

24: Director of Health and Disability Services Consumer Advocacy

A person chosen to help people with health and disability services problems, working independently.

Topics:

Health and wellbeing > Public healthHealth and wellbeing > Healthcare servicesRights and equality > Anti-discrimination

1: Short Title and commencement, or

"What the law is called and when it starts working"

Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994

Reprint as at:: 2025-11-27
Assent:: 1994-10-20
Commencement:: see section 1

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Health.

An Act to promote and protect the rights of health consumers and disability services consumers, and, in particular,—