Dear Health New Zealand,
OIA Services
Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand

From:
Nigel Gray

Date:
18 May 2026

Official Information Act Request
I am requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982.

This request concerns the training, education, and competency requirements provided to clinicians regarding:

the three primary protective systems of human immunity (digestive/chemical defence, barrier/surface defence, internal immune system),

nutrient depletion caused by medications,

nutrient monitoring for patients on long‑term medication, and

nutritional support for patients ceasing medication (including sudden cessation or “cold‑turkey” withdrawal).

This request is made in the context of clinicians’ legal obligations under:

Medical Council of New Zealand – Good Medical Practice,

Health and Disability Commissioner Code of Rights, including:

Right 4: Services of an appropriate standard

Right 6: Right to be fully informed

Right 7: Right to make an informed choice and give informed consent

These obligations require clinicians to apply established medical knowledge, prevent harm where possible, and provide complete information to patients.

Accordingly, I request the following:

1. Training materials
Please provide all training materials (including manuals, presentations, e‑learning modules, competency documents, and clinical education packages) that teach clinicians:

the three primary protective systems of human immunity,

nutrient depletion associated with common medications,

nutrient monitoring requirements for medicated patients,

nutritional support during medication withdrawal,

and any related physiological or clinical frameworks.

If no such training exists, please confirm this explicitly.

2. Competency expectations
Please provide any documents that specify clinician competencies required to meet:

MCNZ Good Medical Practice standards,

HDC Right 4 (appropriate standard of care),

HDC Right 6 (information disclosure),

HDC Right 7 (informed consent),

in relation to:

nutrient depletion caused by medications,

nutritional rehabilitation during withdrawal,

and the three protective systems of human immunity.

If no such competency expectations exist, please confirm this explicitly.

3. Policy statements or internal correspondence
Please provide any internal documents, memos, or correspondence that:

discuss whether clinicians require training in these areas to meet MCNZ or HDC obligations,

acknowledge gaps in training,

confirm that no such training exists,

or discuss whether such training should be developed.

If no such documents exist, please confirm this explicitly.

4. Curriculum or training programme descriptions
Please provide descriptions of any national or regional training programmes that include:

digestive/chemical immune defence,

barrier/surface immune defence,

internal immune system integration,

nutrient depletion caused by medications,

nutrient monitoring,

nutritional support during withdrawal.

If no such programmes exist, please confirm this explicitly.

5. Future planning
Please provide any documents relating to:

planned development of training in these areas,

consideration of nutrient‑depletion protocols,

consideration of withdrawal‑nutrition guidelines,

or any working groups or committees discussing these issues.

If no such planning exists, please confirm this explicitly.

Format
Please provide all information in electronic form.

Withholding grounds
If any information is withheld, please specify:

the exact section of the OIA relied upon,

the reason it applies,

and whether the grounds are considered partial or full.

Administrative note
This request is intentionally narrow and document‑focused.
A response of “no documents exist” is a valid and complete answer.

Yours faithfully,

Nigel Gray