Health & Education Advocacy
If you would like to be involved in any specific projects, advocacy efforts or Special Interest Groups in the areas of health or education, please send an Expression of Interest outlining your project to info@musictherapy.org.nz
Update on the HPCA Act review from Rani Allan – July 2025
Linda Webb and I attended a further meeting in June of the Self-Regulating Professions group to hear general updates and also what was happening with the Review of the Act. Key points were that feedback was analysed using inductive thematic analysis and there would be separate reporting for submissions outside the official form. All feedback will be acknowledged in the reporting. Until there is a response from the Minister no further information is available including the thematic analysis. We were advised that they are seeking permission to publish the consultation report and we will receive updates when more is known.
We were encouraged to work within formal process and it was highlighted the importance of coordinated advocacy. The group has agreed to be proactive and is looking to prepare a statement about “what is self-regulation and why is it important”. MThNZ will contribute to the development of this statement.
Rani Allan
The review document, Putting Patients First: Modernising health workforce regulation, was released on 28 March 2025, with submissions required by April 30th. The document asked for feedback on how regulators of health professions might consider:
Patient-centred regulation: Faster wait times, better outcomes, and a system that truly puts patients first.
Streamlined regulation: Using resources and administering the rules in the most cost-effective way possible, ensuring value for money for taxpayers and better outcomes for patients.
Right-sized regulation: The level of regulation should depend on the level of risk to public safety involved.
Future-proofed regulation: Modernised and adaptive regulation that ensures patients receive the care they need while supporting the workforce to respond to the needs of all New Zealanders.
The submission questions were quite different from what we had anticipated and reflected the very recent change of Health Minister. The group reviewed, reorganised or rewrote our responses to the submission questions and invited input from Rani Allen, our AHANZ representative. MThNZ members were then invited for their feedback, which was considered, submission answers adapted and the submission uploaded to the government’s online portal on April 28th. The submission is available to read on the MThNZ website and you can read it here.
I acknowledge the significant contributions of Alison, Jen, Daphne, Barb, Rani and all those who provided feedback. Now we can only hope that our voice is heard and trust that we have advocated as well as we possibly could have for music therapy within the health sector.
Rachel Austin, HPCA Act Review Group Chair
ACC Recognition for NZ RMThs
On 12 November 2024 Rani Allan, Carlos Riegelhaupt, Kathryn Stevenson and Linda Webb met to discuss progress on gaining ACC recognition for NZ RMThs. The group agreed to ask Council for formal approval to set up a Special Interest Group and that was confirmed at the Council meeting on 23 November. At the meeting the group looked at past documentation and meetings that had been held over 20 years to try and make progress. We also tried to understand the various categories that operate under the ACC legislation because it is not as straightforward as it may seem to provide services.
In a nutshell, recognition to become a “specified treatment provider” under the ACC Act is limited because the Act refers to professions that are designated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA) and music therapy is not listed in that Act. Of course, there are always exceptions. Music therapy is a self regulated profession like many in the allied health area. AHANZ (Allied Health Aotearoa NZ) of which we are a member, has been holding hui to discuss self regulated professions and the benefits of continuing with this status, rather than full recognition under the Act which would be a long and expensive exercise. During one of the recent discussions the meeting was told that a review of the Act may include recognising self regulated professions under the Act and there could be layers or tiers of recognition. Much of this can be dependent on the risk associated with the professions.
Progress is being made and there is certainly recognition that self regulated professions have a place in our health system, but that is not to say progress will be swift. The group decided to make a direct approach to ACC to find out what can be done to gain recognition in some way (not defined as yet), what steps we need to take (apart from applying to HPCA Act) to be able to work with ACC case managers to deliver music therapy to many clients. We are developing a background paper that will go to ACC to inform them about music therapy and the work being done in Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you would like to join the group please advise the Administrator (admin@musictherapy.org.nz). Or contact me to have a discussion.
Rani Allan, ACC Recognition for NZ RMThs SiG (raniallan@gmail.com)
Webinar: Heather Fletcher, AHANZ, on everything you need to know but were afraid to ask.