Certification of Healthcare Services     General information

This webpage provides information for providers of hospital and rest home services and residential care for people with disabilities and to the public about the certification of these services.

Changes have been made to the legislation for the licensing of hospitals and rest homes and the registration of homes for people with disabilities. These changes commenced on 1 October 2002 and the new requirements are detailed in the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001. This Act replaces licensing and registration with certification of people or organisations that provide hospital or rest home care or residential care for people with disabilities.

From 1 October 2002 new service providers that have not been licensed or registered prior to this date will need to meet the requirements of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 and be certified before they can provide a service. Existing providers will need to meet the requirement of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act and be certified no later than 1 October 2004.

From this webpage you can find:
information about recent changes under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
information about applying for certification under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
you can complete a new online application or apply for recertification using the logon details provided by the HealthCERT section. We also have instructions on how to apply (PDF, 263kB) available for download.
information about applying for designation under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
a list of designated audit agencies
frequently asked questions about health and disability safety standards.

You can also:
submit a new audit report (you will need a user name and password)
open an existing audit report (you will need a user name and password)
submit a review of the Certification System (you will need a user name and password)
access certification information for DHBs (you will need a user name and password)

Heath and Disability Sector Standards Review

The submissions for the review of the Health and Disability Sector Standards, Infection Control Standard, Restraint Minimization and Safe Practice Standard and National Mental Health Sector Standard has now closed. Thank you for your views and the time taken to complete the questionnaire.

Further information on the Health Service Providers System

If you require any further information or advice please contact:

HealthCERT Section
Quality & Safety Team
Clinical Services Directorate
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
WELLINGTON