GenPro, the national representative body for general practice and urgent care providers, has today welcomed the report of Parliament’s Regulations Review Committee (the Committee) regarding the payment of GPs for the preparation of reports requested by the Coroner.

In April 2021, GenPro submitted a formal complaint to the Committee regarding the lack of payment to GPs for the preparation, under the Coroners Act 2006, of reports for the Coroner following the death of a patient.

GenPro’s deputy chair, Dr Angus Chambers, said, “The Committee’s report is a vindication of the complaint raised by GenPro on behalf of members and the work which it has involved over a number of months – including attending the Committee’s hearing to provide additional oral evidence”.

The Committee concluded that regulations should be made under section 140 of the Act to enable payment to GPs as soon as possible and it encouraged the Ministry of Justice to make that a high priority.

The Committee’s review of GenPro’s complaint was undertaken at a similar time to a separate review by the Ombudsman on the same issue. “I would like to acknowledge the work of my GenPro Board colleague, Dr Deborah Johnstone, who independently raised this issue with the Ombudsman – a process which provided additional evidence for the Committee’s own review” said Dr Chambers.

Prior to the release of the Committee’s report, the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) had already accepted the basis of GenPro’s complaint and commenced working to address the gap in funding provision. The Ministry has included GenPro in that process and has stated that it expects consideration and approval of the regulations will likely occur in February 2022, with the regulations coming into force by April 2022.

The Committee’s full report is available on the Parliamentary website: https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en- NZ/SCR_118068/61831682ac093e83dcb8b271550b3654b18b0c72

GenPro has advised the Committee of an inaccuracy in the interim report relating to the separate approach to the Ombudsman on this matter. The report states that the approach to the Ombudsman was made by GenPro. However, GenPro did not make that separate approach. That was the independent work of Dr Deborah Johnstone – who has coincidentally since been elected to the Board of GenPro. The Committee have advised that the error will be corrected in the Committee’s final report.