Latest Disability News

Media release Publication date: 5 October 2026 Specialist vape retailer, Discount Mall Vape Ltd, has been fined $35,000 for selling vapes to minors and failing to take all practicable steps to prevent young people from entering their shops, following joint action by Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health.  This is the first prosecution brought against a Specialist Vape Retailer for both selling vapes to under-18s and for failing to take all practicable steps to prevent a young person from entering its premises. It is also the seventh prosecution for selling regulated products to under-18s since 2023.The Ministry of Health’s Deputy Director-General, Regulatory Services, David Shanks says it sends a clear message to vape retailers that failure to meet their obligations to protect young people will have consequences.  “Businesses that continue put sales ahead of young people’s health can expect serious repercussions.”  The prosecution follows a series of controlled purchase operations by Health New Zealand at Discount Mall Vape’s stores around the country.  Health New Zealand’s Director – Protection, Becky Jenkins says the investigations showed repeated non-compliance across many of the retailer’s branches.“Our investigations showed this wasn’t a one-off mistake. We recorded ten instances where a young person was able to enter the store, and on six of these occasions they were able to buy a vape,” Ms. Jenkins says.  “That is an unacceptable breach of laws meant to protect the health of children and young people.”Today’s sentencing comes amid a wider increase in enforcement activity focused on improving vaping compliance as well as increased penalties and restrictions to protect young people. Health agencies more than doubled the number of store visits and controlled purchase operations since 2023/24, resulting in over 600 infringement notices to businesses and individuals for breaches of smokefree laws including selling vaping and tobacco products to people under 18.For further information contact:Ministry of Health: media@health.govt.nzHealth New Zealand: hnzmedia@tewhatuora.govt.nz.

News article Publication date: 30 September 2026 The Ministry of Health has published the 2024-25 Office of the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services Regulatory Report.The report presents data about the use of compulsory assessment and treatment in New Zealand and helps the Ministry to understand the quality of compulsory care that our mental health, intellectual disability, and addiction services provide.The Ministry plays an important role in monitoring these services to ensure that people undergoing compulsory assessment, care and treatment are receiving high-quality care.The report also helps to identify where changes and improvements may be needed to ensure people receive appropriate care.The 2024/25 report shows that the demand for mental health, intellectual disability, and addiction services continued to be high. However, for this reporting period, there were 366 less people compulsorily assessed or treated compared to the previous year (2023/24).The total number of people who have been secluded and the total hours people spend in seclusion decreased from 2022/23. However, it’s important to note that these numbers will fluctuate from year to year depending on individual circumstances.The new Mental Health Act which comes into effect in 2028 eliminates seclusion for those aged under 18 and the Ministry remains committed to working with Health New Zealand and the Health Quality & Safety Commission to reduce seclusion over time and eventually eliminate it.Key findings for the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 include:11,129 people (6.0% of specialist mental health and addiction service users) were subject to the Mental Health Act over the year. This is a decrease from 6.5% over 2023/24.About 5,281 people were subject to either compulsory assessment or compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act on the last day of the year.Of all people subject to compulsory treatment, 74% were treated in the community and 26% in an inpatient setting.Males were more likely to be subject to the Mental Health Act than females.Across the different age groups, people aged 25–34 years were the most likely to be subject to compulsory treatment, and people aged under 14 or 65 years and over were the least likely.Māori were more likely to be assessed or treated under the Mental Health Act than Pacific peoples and other ethnicities.Further informationThere is further data and information about mental health and addiction service performance available here:Health New Zealand’s quarterly reporting, including against the mental health and addiction targets, is available on its website.Data and information about the performance of mental health and addiction services, including how many people are accessing services can be found on the Health New Zealand website: Mental health and addiction data and statistics.Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission publishes monitoring reports on the mental health and addiction system which can be found on its website: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.

News article Publication date: 23 September 2026 Changes are being made to controlled drug regulations, improving efficiency while maintaining safeguards to protect patient and public safety.The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations (No 2) 2026 will come into effect on 1 October 2026. These modernise some requirements around controlled drugs set out in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977.Controlled drugs are substances that are more tightly controlled than other prescription medicines. This is to prevent harm and abuse of the medicines.Four amendments are being made to the regulations:removing a requirement to carry out stocktakes of controlled drugs on set dates (30 June and 31 December) annually. Pharmacists, other health professionals and controlled drug licence holders will now be able to choose their own dates for stocktakes, as long as they happen at least every six months.removing the requirement for controlled drugs registers to be kept in a bound paper format. They will be able to be maintained electronically, if the electronic system meets specific requirements set out in the regulations.extending the expiry date for prescriptions issued by persons authorised under section 24A Gazette notices (opioid substitution treatment prescriptions) from 7 days to 28 days after a prescription is made. Opioid substitution treatment is an important therapy for people who are dependent on opioids. If there is a gap in their treatment, they can experience serious or life-threatening harm.  This change supports continuity of treatment for these patients.providing legal certainty to the New Zealand Defence Force that personnel can carry and administer controlled drugs for use in medical emergencies while on active service. Rules around possession, use and record-keeping will be subject to Defence Force orders.These amendments are part of ongoing work to modernise medicines regulation so that it is fit for purpose for health professionals and patients.Read the full regulations on the New Zealand Legislation website: Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations (No 2) 2026.

News article Publication date: 11 September 2026 Emergency health professionals from across the Pacific and wider Western Pacific region gathered in Auckland this week for the 2026 World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) training and exercise.Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) training and exercise.Hosted by the New Zealand Medical Assistance Team (NZMAT) from the Ministry of Health, the programme ran from 7 to 11 September and brought together participants from Pacific Emergency Medical Teams, Pacific National Emergency Management Offices, the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea.The programme supports countries to strengthen emergency medical team coordination before disasters and health emergencies occur. Through practical exercises and scenario-based activities, participants built a shared understanding of coordination arrangements, international response systems, and the relationships needed to work together effectively during an emergency.New Zealand is committed to working alongside Pacific partners to build an emergency response health workforce that is trained, connected and ready to deploy when the next emergency strikes.Dr Junior Ulu, the Ministry of Health’s Director Pacific Health, says strong partnerships are at the heart of emergency preparedness in the Pacific.‘As part of the Pacific family, New Zealand works alongside our neighbours to strengthen preparedness and support one another in times of need. Opportunities like this help build the trusted relationships and shared understanding that are essential during an emergency response.’Emergency Medical Teams are deployable, self-sufficient clinical teams that can provide life-saving care to people affected by health emergencies. They can support local health services that may be overwhelmed following an emergency or major disaster, such as an earthquake, cyclone or significant disease outbreak.NZMAT is New Zealand's Emergency Medical Team. It includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, public health staff, paramedics and logisticians who can provide additional capability for local health services both in New Zealand and overseas.As an active participant in the global EMT initiative, NZMAT works closely with the World Health Organization and regional partners, including Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, to support Pacific EMT capability building.Brendan Stanbury, Manager of NZMAT, says effective coordination is critical during complex emergencies.‘This training provides an opportunity for countries across the region to share experiences, learn from one another, and strengthen professional networks that can support future responses.’Chandra Gilmore, WHO focal point for Emergency Medical Teams in the Pacific, says strengthening coordination capability benefits the entire region.‘The Western Pacific is stronger when countries invest in shared systems, common standards and coordinated emergency medical response capability. The EMTCC works within government structures to help build the connections, skills and relationships needed to effectively coordinate health care delivered by EMTs during emergencies.’As climate-related events, natural disasters and public health emergencies continue to affect countries across the Pacific, programmes like the EMTCC Team Member training and exercise play an important role in building collective preparedness and strengthening the region's ability to respond together.

News article Publication date: 7 September 2026 The Ministry of Health has published the 2025 Health and Independence Report, providing a comprehensive overview of the health of New Zealanders and the performance of the health system.  The report brings together data from across the health system to provide a snapshot of New Zealand’s population, health outcomes, factors that influence health and wellbeing, and the services that support people throughout their lives. The report provides insights into where efforts can be targeted in the future to improve the health of New Zealanders.   Director-General of Health, Audrey Sonerson says the report provides valuable insights into both the progress being made and the challenges facing the health system. “It shows that our health system continues to serve many New Zealanders well while also experiencing increased demand for services, driven by changing population needs, health trends, and the wider factors that influence health and wellbeing”. “The findings will help inform decisions across the health sector and support ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes and ensure New Zealanders can access the care they need, both now and in the future".  The report is structured into three key sections: People of New Zealand – an overview of New Zealand’s population and how it is changing, including population growth, ageing, diversity, disability, and rural and urban population patterns. Population health – key measures of population health, including health status, leading causes of health loss, non-communicable and communicable diseases, determinants of health and wellbeing, and risk and protective factors. Delivery of health services – information on the delivery of health services, including primary care, hospital and specialist services, emergency care, experience of care, and the health workforce. The Health and Independence Report is published annually and its findings will help guide future planning and investment, and support the Government’s focus on delivering timely, high-quality, patient-centered care. Read the Health and Independence Report 2025

News article Publication date: 4 September 2026 Medsafe has approved two New Zealand psychiatrists to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA as part of a treatment programme for eligible adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The approval provides an additional treatment option for people whose symptoms have not responded to conventional therapies.  The decision brings New Zealand into line with Australia, where authorised psychiatrists have been able to provide MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD since 2023.  MDMA-assisted psychotherapy combines psychotherapy with the supervised use of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA as part of a broader treatment programme. Treatment takes place in a controlled clinical setting under the care of an authorised psychiatrist and forms part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Patients are not supplied with MDMA to take home.  While MDMA contains the same active ingredient found in the illicit drug commonly known as ecstasy, the product used in treatment is manufactured to a pharmaceutical standard and used under strict clinical supervision.  A range of safeguards apply to the approvals. Patients must be aged 18 or older and undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment before treatment is considered. Authorised psychiatrists must follow approved therapeutic protocols and make prescribing decisions on a case-by-case basis, supported by informed consent discussions with patients. The treatment is expected to be suitable for only a limited number of people and will be provided within strict clinical protocols.  To receive approval, the psychiatrists were required to demonstrate substantial expertise and provide detailed information about how treatment would be delivered safely and appropriately.  As part of making this decision, Medsafe carefully considered the balance between enabling innovative new treatments to be available for patients while also ensuring a comprehensive process to protect patients from potential harm.  The approval does not mean MDMA has been approved as a medicine in New Zealand. Evidence on its use for PTSD is still emerging internationally, and authorised use remains limited to the two approved psychiatrists. Any other clinician wishing to prescribe MDMA would require their own approval from Medsafe.  This follows Medsafe's 2025 approval for a psychiatrist to prescribe medicinal psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. New Zealand currently has two clinicians approved to prescribe psilocybin and two approved to prescribe MDMA.  

News article Publication date: 25 August 2026 On 23 August 2023 the Director-General of Health endorsed a pause in the use of surgical mesh to treat female stress urinary incontinence (SUI), following a recommendation from the Surgical Mesh Round Table (SMRT). This precautionary measure was taken to reduce harm and ensure patient safety.The Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand acknowledge those who have suffered significant avoidable harm through surgical procedures involving mesh.Four safety conditions must be met before the pause can be reconsidered: mandatory credentialling of clinicians; structured informed consent supported by a patient decision aid; patient case discussion at dedicated stress urinary incontinence multidisciplinary meetings; and establishment of a registry for female pelvic floor procedures.Three conditions have been implemented, while work to establish the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Registry - New Zealand is continuing. Meeting all four conditions is necessary but not sufficient alone to trigger the Surgical Mesh Roundtable (SMRT) to advise the Director-General of Health on the status of the pause; it would not automatically result in the pause being lifted.Since the pause was introduced, the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand have continued work across the health system to strengthen safeguards, improve transparency, support informed decision-making and respond to recommendations from previous reviews and engagement with women affected by surgical mesh.This includes an independent review of the National Credentialling Framework and work to establish the registry. The review and registry are separate parts of the wider programme to strengthen safety, quality and transparency in pelvic floor care.National Credentialling FrameworkA key focus has been the National Credentialling Framework for pelvic floor reconstructive and urogynaecological procedures, which supports consistent expectations for clinicians undertaking these procedures.The Ministry of Health has commissioned external reviewers to independently assess whether the National Credentialling Framework remains fit for purpose and is being implemented effectively. The independent quality and safety review will consider both the design of the framework and how it works in practice, including whether it supports safe, consistent and transparent credentialling.The review will not decide whether the current pause on the use of surgical mesh should be lifted. Independent reviewers will engage with a range of stakeholders, including professional bodies, surgeons, clinical team members, private providers and consumers. Findings are expected to be published in the first half of 2027.Progressing the Female Pelvic Floor Procedure RegistryHealth New Zealand is continuing work on New Zealand’s first registry for female pelvic floor procedures, including procedures that use surgical mesh. The registry is intended to improve oversight, monitoring and learning over time, and is one part of the wider work programme to strengthen safety, quality and transparency in care.Late last year, Health New Zealand signed an agreement with Melbourne’s Monash University to implement the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Register in New Zealand. Health New Zealand has also partnered with the Centre for Health Outcome Measures New Zealand, a charitable trust experienced in managing health registries, to support a rollout. Work is now focused on adapting the Australasian register for the New Zealand context before a pilot study trials registry processes. The pilot is expected to begin late this year and aims to test the processes, procedures and resources for a small cohort of surgeons and patients. The pilot outcomes will help inform planning for rollout across New Zealand.The registry is an important safeguard for future oversight and is the remaining condition still being progressed.Improving transparency and consumer informationThe SMRT continues to provide independent advice and oversight for the ongoing work programme. Improvements have also been made to increase transparency, including proactive publication of SMRT meeting minutes (from April 2026 onward) and work to improve publicly available information and resources for consumers.Maintaining focus on women’s health and wellbeingThe experiences of women harmed by surgical mesh remain central to this work. Their insights have helped shape improvements in governance, consumer engagement, credentialling and transparency, and continue to inform how agencies approach safety, consent and access to care.Health agencies also recognise that urinary incontinence can have a significant impact on quality of life for many women. Ongoing work remains focused on supporting access to appropriate treatment options and ensuring women have the information they need to make decisions about their care. The SMRT has highlighted the importance of a whole-system approach, including access to conservative and non-surgical treatment options.The Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand remain committed to keeping the safety, wellbeing and experiences of women central to decisions about surgical mesh care.

News article Publication date: 24 August 2026 Blood monitoring requirements for patients taking the psychiatric medicine clozapine will change from March 2027, helping reduce disruptions for patients while maintaining important safeguards.Under the new system, monthly blood monitoring will no longer be mandatory for some stable patients who have been on continuous treatment for at least two years.Medsafe Group Manager, Chris James says the change follows consultation with healthcare professionals, patients and their families, and will help make life easier for people taking these medicines.‘These changes will reduce the amount of time patients have to spend getting blood tests while ensuring any potential risks are carefully managed. Patients will continue being closely monitored by their health professionals, including for other side effects such as constipation and heart problems.’The criteria for interrupting clozapine treatment has also been updated to reduce the number of unnecessary treatment interruptions.‘This change is consistent with international requirements and is in response to feedback that patients were having to inappropriately stop a very effective and useful treatment because the thresholds were too conservative,’ Chris James says.These changes will bring New Zealand in line with latest scientific evidence, and follow a similar approach made by the European Medicines Agency.‘There will continue to be important safeguards to protect patient safety. Patients will need to meet strict eligibility criteria before they stop going for regular blood tests, and clinicians will make decisions with patients about their individual monitoring requirements,’ Chris James says.The changes also clarify prescribing requirements for clozapine under the Medicines Act 1981. Under the Act, clozapine prescriptions will need to be initiated by a psychiatrist or doctor working with a psychiatrist or in a community mental health team. Patients have the option to receive their ongoing clozapine treatment from a general practitioner, nurse practitioner or pharmacist prescriber if this is within the healthcare professional’s scope of practice.

News article Publication date: 21 August 2026 The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora welcomes the release of the Māori Health Strategy 2026 – Whiria te Ora, setting a clear direction for improving health outcomes for Māori over the next five years. The Strategy provides a consolidated framework for action across the health system and supports achievement of the Government's health targets, fulfilling requirements of the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act 2022. The Strategy builds on the gains and enduring direction of previous Māori health strategies and action plans, while consolidating them into a refreshed, delivery-focused framework for system-wide action. The Strategy establishes a clear, needs-based approach to delivering action in four priority areas: Prevention and early intervention Quality, safety and accountability A resilient health workforce and provider sector Strengthening Māori health leadership These priorities are intended to strengthen system performance and improve access to timely, effective healthcare for Māori. The Strategy has been informed by engagement with the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, Māori communities, health providers, IMPBs, iwi, advisory groups and health entities. An accompanying Insights Report outlining the key themes raised through engagement has also been published. The focus now is on implementation, accountability and ensuring effort is directed to where it can make the greatest difference. Progress will be monitored through health targets, action delivery, monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on improving access to timely, high-quality care for Māori. Lasting change will depend on collective effort across government, health organisations, providers, iwi and communities to improve access, strengthen accountability and support better health and wellbeing outcomes for whānau. You can read the Māori Health Strategy 2026 here: Māori Health Strategy 2026 

News article Publication date: 21 August 2026 The Ministry of Health has published annual sales return information from smoked tobacco distributors (manufacturers and importers) for the 2025 calendar year. The information includes product sales, revenue data and product testing results.The data shows that the volume of tobacco sold in New Zealand decreased by 22% compared with 2024, and by 58% compared with 2015. This is consistent with the decline in self-reported smoking rates identified in the most recent New Zealand Health Survey.Eight distributors reported tobacco sales in 2025, continuing the long-term trend of a slowly decreasing number of distributors operating in the market.The annual returns are published under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1900 and are available on the Ministry's website, alongside historical returns dating back to 2012.Read more: Tobacco returns 2025.Annual returns for vaping and other notifiable products will be published separately once analysis is complete later in 2026.