Ngā Kaitautoko - Nationwide Health & Disability Advocacy Service
We are here to help you, start here.
-
Your Rights! – Ōu Mōtika
In Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s important that everyone knows their rights when it comes to health and disability care. You can view the Health & Disability Commissioner’s Videos in Te Reo and English by clicking here…
The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service offers free, independent, and confidential advice and support to help you resolve issues with health and disability services.
Our advocates are here to let you know about your rights, answer your questions and talk through your options for making a complaint. We will support you through the whole process.
-
The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service (the Advocacy Service) offers free, independent and confidential advice and support to help you resolve issues with health and disability services.
The role of our advocates
Our advocates are here to answer your questions, support you, encourage you to take action, and help you resolve issues with the treatment you have received.
You can also talk to them about any special communication needs you may have.
While they are not investigators or mediators, and don’t make decisions on whether there has been a breach of your right, they can support you through the whole complaint process.
Advantages of using an advocacy service
Flexible and time effective.
Gives you the opportunity to actively participate in finding a resolution.
Gives providers the chance to explain their actions and work with you on the solution.
Enables a better ongoing relationship between you and your provider.
Generally, people who resolve their disputes using an advocacy service are more satisfied because they have more control over the process and the results. Your privacy is important to us
When you use our service, we will collect a certain amount of information from you. This information:
Enables us to assist you with your complaint
Protects other consumers by ensuring accountability of providers
Is used by us for monitoring and statistical purposes.
Information collected by advocates is stored in accordance with the Privacy Act. Advocacy Service managers, auditors, and the Director of Advocacy have access to that information. Information about you and your complaint may also be provided to the Health and Disability Commissioner, as required under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
You have the right to view and/or receive a copy of the information about you collected by the Advocacy Service, and to have alterations made to anything that is factually incorrect. If you have any questions or concerns about the access to, and the use of, your personal information, please talk to us.
About the Advocacy Service
The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service (the Advocacy Service) was formally established as a free and independent service for consumers of health and/or disability services in 1996.
We have 23 community-based offices throughout New Zealand. Each year the Advocacy Service expects to receive and close over 3,000 complaints, deliver more than 1,200 education sessions to consumers and providers, and respond to an estimated 18,000 enquiries.
For the period 01 July 2020 – 30 June 2021, we:
Responded to 17,884 enquiries
Closed 2675 complaints:
81% were closed within 3 months
82% were resolved or withdrawn by the consumer/complainant.
We have high resolution and satisfaction rates
The advocacy process is a very successful way to achieve early resolution and has advantages for both consumers and providers:
Flexible and time effective.
Gives consumers the opportunity to actively participate in finding a resolution.
Gives providers the chance to explain their actions and work with consumers on the solution.
Enables a better ongoing relationship between consumers and providers.
Generally, people who resolve their disputes through this process are more satisfied because they have more control over the process and the results.
Our resolution rate is consistently between 90–94%.
In 2016/17, 88% of consumers and 86% of providers who responded to satisfaction surveys said that they were satisfied or very satisfied.
Our advocates
The role of our advocates in complaint resolution is to assist consumers to identify what is needed to achieve resolution, and then to support them in their chosen actions. Advocates are not investigators or mediators, and they don’t make decisions on whether there has been a breach of consumer rights.
Through their training, advocates learn how to achieve positive outcomes for consumers, and develop professional and respectful working relationships with providers and consumers of all backgrounds and abilities.
Advocates apply defined complaint resolution processes and use interactive adult education skills when promoting the rights set out in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. They demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Code, including its application and impact, along with other relevant legislation and standards.
History of the Advocacy Service
In 1987, Judge Silvia Cartwright identified the need for an advocacy service during a major independent inquiry into the treatment of patients at an Auckland hospital. The Cartwright Report, released on 5 August 1988, outlined the findings of the inquiry, and made key recommendations. These included how to address the need for a focus on consumer rights and the quality of services provided to consumers.
The inquiry report identified the need for widespread changes to the way patients were treated and services provided and emphasised the need for the services to have a patient- or consumer-centred approach.
Two key recommendations of the report were:
For a Health Commissioner to promote and uphold consumer rights
For independent advocates who would support consumers to ensure that their rights were upheld.
The initial focus on health was later extended to include the disability sector, and consumers using disability services.
Following the Cartwright Report, the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 was enacted to establish the role of an independent Health and Disability Commissioner and an independent advocacy service, and to provide for a code of consumer rights.
Your privacy is important to us
When you use our service, we will collect a certain amount of information from you. This information:
Enables us to assist you with your complaint
Protects other consumers by ensuring accountability of providers
Is used by us for monitoring and statistical purposes.
Information collected by advocates is stored in accordance with the Privacy Act. Advocacy Service managers, auditors, and the Director of Advocacy have access to that information. Information about you and your complaint may also be provided to the Health and Disability Commissioner, as required under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
You have the right to view and/or receive a copy of the information about you collected by the Advocacy Service, and to have alterations made to anything that is factually incorrect. If you have any questions or concerns about the access to, and the use of, your personal information, please talk to us.
Our service is free and confidential
Your advocate will not talk to the health or disability service provider involved in your care about your concerns without you being present. You will receive any written communication directly – providers are asked to address this to you. Advocates will receive a copy only if you have requested that the provider send them a copy.
Self advocacy
If you are not satisfied with a health or disability service, you may be able to resolve the problem yourself.
Your rights
When you use a health or disability service in New Zealand, you have the protection of a Code of Rights.
