Statement from Chair on application for registration

His statement follows a number of media enquiries and other approaches in relation to the current review of Dr Rakasz’ application to work in New Zealand. Council has Dr Rakasz’ permission to release information about his application.

Dr Walker said "The Council is the statutory organisation responsible for protecting the health and safety of the public by ensuring doctors are competent and fit to practise medicine and we must and do have robust processes to ensure this.

There are limits to what can be said about the details of Dr Rakasz’ situation as the matter is currently before the courts. What I can say is, Council is very aware of the pressure on health services, including neurosurgery. This emphasises the importance of ensuring doctors have the necessary training and experience to safely practise in these challenging and highly specialised environments.

When an overseas trained doctor wants to get registration in New Zealand, Council must assess whether the doctor’s overseas qualification, training and experience are comparable to those of a New Zealand trained doctor of the same type. The key phrase is whether the qualification, training and experience is 'equivalent to, or as satisfactory as' a NZ trained doctor. If the overseas doctor is assessed as being equivalent, or as satisfactory as, they get registration.

This is a technical and complex process. Council typically proceeds by convening a specialist group from the relevant medical college. This group carefully reviews the doctor’s overseas qualification, training and experience, interviews the applicant, and compares the qualification, training and experience against the standard of a New Zealand trained doctor. Council then carefully considers all information - including the doctor's application and submissions - and makes a decision.

In Dr Rakasz’ case, Council engaged the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) to review all information, interview Dr Rakasz, and provide its report. The RACS panel, comprising four specialists, reached the view that his qualifications, training and experience is not comparable to a NZ trained specialist neurosurgeon. Council accepted that advice and declined his application for registration as a specialist neurosurgeon.

However, it is important to emphasise that Dr Rakasz is still registered as a doctor in NZ in the general scope of practice and can therefore practise in NZ in neurosurgery and hospital-based practice.

Dr Rakasz disagrees with Council’s decision that he is not comparable to a NZ specialist neurosurgeon. As he is entitled to do, he has appealed that decision to the District Court.

For its part, Council has said that it is prepared to have another look at the question of whether Dr Rakasz’s qualification, training and experience is comparable. Council has rescinded its decision to decline his application and has offered to convene an entirely new RACS panel to consider the matter afresh, including a further interview with Dr Rakasz.

Dr Rakasz has not taken up Council’s offer to do this and has decided to proceed with his appeal in court.

Finally, Council does not accept the suggestion that has been made in the public domain that the Council has been delaying the hearing of Dr Rakasz’ appeal in the District Court. It is for the Court to set a date for the hearing. Council’s lawyers have been, and remain, ready to proceed when the Court allocates a suitable date".

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