In late June 2022, the Director of Mental Health, Dr John Crawshaw, informed the Minister of Health that he will be undertaking an inspection of Canterbury District (formerly Canterbury District Health Board) Mental Health Services under section 99 of the Mental Health Act. This document details the Terms of Reference for the inspection.
Note: An earlier version of these terms of reference has been replaced. This version provides additional clarity on the independent review by Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).
A full report of the results of this inspection will be published following the completion of this work. In the interests of supporting open disclosure of information no details of individual interviews or information identifying individuals will be published.
What is a section 99?
Section 99 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 gives the Director of Mental Health statutory powers to conduct an independent inspection of mental health services.
In relation to any hospital, or any ward, unit, or other part of a hospital, in which psychiatric treatment is given, the Director shall have all the powers of the Director-General of Health under section 148 of the Hospitals Act 1957, and the provisions of that section shall extend and apply accordingly.
The previous section 99 was undertaken in Waikato in 2015.