Dear Jane
I refer to your request of 28 November 2025 under the Official Information
Act 1982 (OIA) to the University of Auckland (the University). The
University's response follows.

"Please can I request all correspondence, meeting minutes, cost-benefit
analyses, business cases or plans, role development plans, directives from
Health NZ or the Ministry of Health of the Minister for Health, and any
correspondence or documentation involved in any formal or informal
discussions, plans, or policy relating to the creation of a training
programme or course for Physician Associates at the University of
Auckland?"

Your request is for a wide range of documents concerning the creation of a
training programme or course for Physician Associates at the University of
Auckland specifically. We do not have correspondence, meeting minutes,
cost-benefit analyses, business cases or plans, role development plans,
other plans or policies, or other documents, related to the creation of a
training programme or course for Physician Associates at the University of
Auckland, nor have we received directives from Health NZ, the Ministry of
Health or the Minister for Health about this topic. This constitutes a
refusal of your request under 18(g) of the OIA, as the information
requested is not held by the University, and we do not believe this
information is either held by any other agency subject to the OIA, or is
more closely related to the functions of any other agency subject to the
OIA.

You may be aware that the Medical Council has invited feedback on the
regulation of physician associates/physician assistants in New Zealand
([1]https://www.mcnz.org.nz/about-us/news-an...).
The Medical Council's website at
[2]https://www.mcnz.org.nz/about-us/consult...

"To apply for registration, we think PAs must have all of these:

 1. A university qualification recognised by the regulator in the United
Kingdom or the United States of America.
 2. A pass in the national PA examination in one of these countries.
 3. At least three years of recent work as a PA in one of these countries.
 4. A pass in a knowledge-based cultural safety programme approved by the
Council (approved programme(s) yet to be decided). 

A slightly different entry pathway is proposed to recognise PAs who have
been working in Aotearoa New Zealand for a number of years – but they will
still need to show they are qualified, trained and competent, and
culturally safe. 
At a later time, the Council may recognise qualifications of PAs from
other countries.  At the moment, there is no local training programme for
PAs." [emphasis added]
You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with the University's response. 

Yours sincerely,

Landon Watt

Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland 

 

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From: Jane Craddock <[3][FOI #33030 email]>
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2025 9:45 AM
To: legal <[4][University of Auckland request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Training of Physician Associates
- University of Auckland

 

Dear University of Auckland,

Please can I request all correspondence, meeting minutes, cost-benefit
analyses, business cases or plans, role development plans, directives
from Health NZ or the Ministry of Health of the Minister for Health, and
any correspondence or documentation involved in any formal or informal
discussions, plans, or policy relating to the creation of a training
programme or course for Physician Associates at the University of
Auckland?

Yours faithfully,

Jane Craddock

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References

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