All consumers receiving a health and/or disability service in New Zealand are protected by The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. You can read a summary of the code here.
If you have concerns about how a rest home, hospital or health or disability service is run or the services you are getting, you can make a complaint.
- First, talk to the manager of the service. Contact the Advocacy Service for support if needed.
- If the complaint is about a publicly funded and contracted service and it is not responded to or resolved, contact your older person’s service - ask for the manager.
- If concerns are not addressed, contact HealthCERT (freephone 0800 113 813) or Disability Support Services at the Ministry of Health (freephone 0800 373 664).
- If still unresolved, the Health and Disability Commissioner will consider the issues and may investigate (0800 11 22 33). They may also advise you of any other course of action you might take such as making a formal complaint to the Health and Disability Commissioner. As well as being able to assist you to make a complaint, they may also refer you to your local health authority or the police (in the case of a criminal matter), for example.
- Age Concern may be able to guide you too.
Concerns about any service costs can be taken to the Disputes Tribunal. This usually has the same phone number as the District Court.
Concerns about a home support service? Go to Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health
Professional associations:
- Residential care: NZ Aged Care Association (04) 473 3159; Care Association NZ (09) 438 3909, ask for CANZ.
- Home support: Home and Community Health Association (04) 472 3196.
Examples of serious complaints: failure to provide an acceptable standard of wound care in a rest home, breach of sexual boundaries following a professional relationship, medication error resulting in serious consequences, person left undressed in a care home lounge
Updated: 21 Apr 2023