Director General of Health,
Dear Dr Bloomfield,
Official Information Act – Request.
I wish to request under the Official Information Act the following information:-
- Is it your intention to increase the scope of practice subject to training for midwives and nurse practitioners to be able to perform surgical abortions or prescribe medicines for medical abortions?
- In the event that the scope of practice for nurses was increased to include medical and surgical abortions, would this include school and university health clinic nurses?
- Would an increase in the scope of practice for nurses and midwives to include performing surgical abortions or prescribing medicines for medical abortions require a law change or be achieved by regulation?
- What are the names of any association of registered health practitioners or other organisations that have expressed support for the proposal that nurses and midwives should perform surgical abortions or prescribe medicines for medical abortions?
It is noted that the Ministry of Health website includes the following:-
Abortion Legislation Changes
Changes for Health Practitioners.
allows a wider range of registered health practitioners (eg doctors, midwives, nurse practitioners) to provide abortions (subject to scopes of practice and training). Registered health practitioners will not be able to perform surgical abortions or prescribe medicines for medical abortions unless:
it is a health service permitted within their scope of practice.
Yours sincerely
Ken Orr,
Secretary,
Right to Life
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