A recent article in The Post newspaper caught my eye with the term ‘noctors’. This is a shortening of the term ‘not a doctor’, and refers to those that are not doctors but providing healthcare “from physician associates to AI”.
It alludes to the growing health workforce shortfall and those who are helping in many ways to fill the gaps.
Physician associates, nurse practitioners, and emergency care workers are all some of the noctors mentioned. Some others are formally recognised under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act and include such professions as anaesthetic technicians, paramedic services, medical laboratory science along with at least a dozen others.
Because they work under the Act, each of these professions must have a registration body and disciplinary process. If there were to be a complaint laid this could either be referred to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), or the relevant registration body for consideration. This can be a stressful undertaking and requires good support and legal advice.
Medicus recognises the importance these professionals play in the delivery of healthcare in New Zealand and therefore offer insurance, and just as importantly peer support, which is critical if you are subject to a complaint. We recognise how stressful complaints can be and how isolated you can feel if subject to a complaint.
Already there have been cases before the HDC involving noctors, such as a paramedic who incorrectly administered morphine under stressful circumstances – you can read the full findings here.
And in another case this year, St John’s Ambulance staff were held to account for failing to transport a patient with an elevated Troponin T to hospital. Multiple staff members were involved and the complaint was raised in 2021, so there were three years of stressful uncertainty for all involved until the conclusion in March 2024.
The delivery of healthcare is and always will be agile. The team at Medicus recognise the current changing landscape and are here to support not only doctors, but our noctors who are doing their bit to contribute to the New Zealand health system.
Andrew Dunn
General Practitioner
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