About the Board
The Board's Functions
The Board is established to carry out functions determined by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act).
The HPCA Act sets out the functions of authorities under part 6 section 118 (a-m). These functions are:
- to prescribe the qualifications required for scopes of practice within the profession, and, for that purpose, to accredit and monitor educational institutions and degrees, courses of studies, or programmes
- to authorise the registration of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians under this Act, and to maintain registers
- to consider applications for annual practising certificates
- to review and promote the competence of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians
- to recognise, accredit, and set programmes to ensure the ongoing competence of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians
- to receive and act on information from health practitioners, employers, and the Health and Disability Commissioner about the competence of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians
- to notify employers, the Accident Compensation Corporation, the Director-General of Health, and the Health and Disability Commissioner that the practice of an Optometrist or Dispensing Optician may pose a risk of harm to the public
- to consider the cases of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians who may be unable to perform the functions required for the practice of their profession
- to set standards of clinical competence, cultural competence, and ethical conduct to be observed by Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians
- to liaise with other authorities appointed under the Act about matters of common interest
- to promote and facilitate inter-promote inter-disciplinary collaboration and co-operation in the delivery of health services
- to promote education and training in the professions
- to promote public awareness of the responsibilities of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board
- to exercise and perform any other functions, powers, and duties that are conferred or imposed on it by or under this Act or any other enactment.
The Board's Strategic Objectives
A copy of the Board's Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2025 can be viewed by clicking here.
Responsible Authority Performance Review
Section 122A of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act of 2003 (HPCA Act) requires all Responsible Authorities (RAs) to undergo a performance review.
A full performance review of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB, the Board) was undertaken in December 2021, and finalised in February 2022. An independent reviewer (BSI New Zealand) was appointed by the Ministry of Health, as required by the HPCA Act. Its purpose was to assess the Board's performance against the full set of the Ministry of Health's Core Performance Standards . These standards have been set by the Ministry of Health for all heath practitioner RAs under the HPCA Act and reflect the functions for these RAs set out in section 118 the HPCA Act.
We are pleased to report that the review confirms the Board complies with all its functions as set out in the HPCA Act, and meets the Core Performance Standards . Four recommendations were listed.
The full independent report documents the findings from the review: