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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction - Rights of patients - Complaints

67: Complaint of breach of rights

You could also call this:

"What to do if you think your rights have been broken"

Illustration for Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

If you think your rights have been denied or breached under this Part, you can make a complaint. You can make this complaint yourself or someone can make it on your behalf. The complaint will be looked into by a district inspector.

The district inspector will talk to you and the person who made the complaint, if that was not you, and others involved in your case. They will investigate the matter to see if the complaint is valid. If the district inspector thinks the complaint has substance, they will report it to the Area Director and make recommendations.

The district inspector will tell you what they found out after they finish investigating your complaint. The Area Director will take necessary steps to fix the problem if the complaint is valid. You will be informed of the district inspector's findings when they conclude their investigation.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609218.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Mental healthRights and equality > Privacy
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66: Parents and others to be informed of decisions, or

"People making decisions about you must tell you and your family what's happening and why."

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68: Application of this subpart, or

"When to ask a court for help with someone's severe substance addiction"

Part 2Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction
Rights of patients: Complaints

67Complaint of breach of rights

  1. If a complaint is made by or on behalf of a patient that any right conferred on the patient by this Part has been denied or breached in some way, the matter must be referred to a district inspector for investigation.

  2. If, after talking with the patient, any person who made the complaint on behalf of the patient, and everyone else involved in the case, and generally investigating the matter, the district inspector is satisfied that the complaint has substance, the district inspector must report the matter to the Area Director, together with any recommendations that the district inspector thinks fit, and the Area Director must take all steps that are necessary to rectify the matter.

  3. On concluding any investigation under this section, the district inspector must also inform the patient or other complainant of his or her findings.