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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction - Inspections

101: Inquiries by district inspector

You could also call this:

"Checking treatment centres are doing their job properly"

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

When you visit a treatment centre, a district inspector can ask questions about how the centre is run. They can check if the centre is following the rules of the Substance Addiction Act or if anyone is not doing their job properly. They can also ask about other things that might be a problem for patients or the centre.

If you are worried about a patient's care or treatment, you can tell a district inspector at any time. The district inspector will then check if your concern is valid. If it is, and they think something more should be done, they will tell the person in charge of the patient's care about the problem and give them any help they need.

A district inspector has the power to ask people to come and answer questions, just like an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2013. They have to write a report about what they find out and send it to the Director.

The district inspector will look into any problems and make sure the treatment centre is doing its job. They will also make sure patients are getting the care they need.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609260.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Mental healthHealth and wellbeing > Public healthCrime and justice > Criminal law
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100: Reports on visits, or

"Writing a report after visiting a treatment centre"

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102: District inspectors to report monthly, or

"District inspectors must send a monthly report on their work to the Director."

Part 2Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction
Inspections

101Inquiries by district inspector

  1. Every district inspector on any visit to any treatment centre may, and must if so required by the Director, inquire as to—

  2. any breach of this Act or of any regulations made under this Act, or any breach of duty on the part of any officer or other person employed in the treatment centre; and
    1. any other matters that the district inspector or the Director thinks fit to be inquired into in respect of any patients or the management of the treatment centre.

      1. Anyone may at any time raise a concern with a district inspector in relation to any aspect of the care, treatment, or conduct of a patient.

      2. The district inspector must inquire as to whether the concern is valid, and if that is the case and there are reasonable grounds to believe that further consideration of the case may be desirable, he or she must take the following steps:

      3. inform the responsible clinician or any other appropriate person of the grounds of concern that have arisen in the case:
        1. give any other advice or assistance in the matter that may be appropriate.

          1. For the purpose of conducting any inquiry under this Act, a district inspector has the same powers and authority to summon witnesses and receive evidence as are conferred on an inquiry by the Inquiries Act 2013, and the provisions of that Act, except section 28 (which relates to costs), apply accordingly.

          2. The district inspector must promptly send a full report of every inquiry to the Director.

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