Level 2, Wintec House
Cnr Anglesea and Nisbet St.
Hamilton 3204
0800 86 22 84
info@tepūkenga.ac.nz
tepūkenga.ac.nz
2 December 2024
Jan Rivers
By email: [FYI request #29147 email]
Tēnā koe Jan
Request under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 11 November 2024, requesting the following information from Otago
Polytechnic ǀ Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (Otago Polytechnic):
Otago Polytechnic is hosting online training for midwives that introduces them to a Scope of
Practice for Midwifery that was gazetted in April 2024 to come into force on 1 October. See
https://midwiferycouncil.health.nz/common/Uploaded%20files/Revised%20Scope%20of%20Prac
tice%20of%20Midwife%20and%20Standards%20of%20Competence%20Education%20Instruction
s%20.pdf
Please can you provide communications between the Midwifery Council and the Polytechnic that:
address the following
the Scope is the subject of an official complaint to the Regualtory [sic]
Review Select Committee
(RRSC) of Parliament and an altered Scope of Practice is under consideration. OR
the Scope of Practice may not comply with the law and may be withdrawn OR
describes why the training is to continue despite the official complaint OR
Lays out the expectations of the RRSC with respect to the Scope being the subject of an official
complaint.
This letter provides a formal decision on your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
The decision
There has been no communication between Otago Polytechnic and Te Tatau o te Whare Kahu |
Midwifery Council (the Council) regarding the complaint you refer to, nor in relation to any of your
points above. Therefore, we must refuse your request under section 18(e) of the OIA as
the document
alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.
We can confirm Otago Polytechnic hosts the course developed by the Midwifery Council on our
online learning platform for ākonga (learners). We take our advice and direction on this course from
the Council, which would include any updates to the course content. We have not received any
updates nor advice with regard to the
Revised Scope of Practice of Midwife and Standards of
Competence.
You have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the OIA if you are
not happy with this response. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by cal ing 0800 802 602.
We may publish our OIA responses and the information contained in our reply to you on our website.
Before publishing we will remove any personal or identifiable information.
Ngā mihi
Gus Gilmore
Tumuaki | Chief Executive
2