EpiQual

“He iti rā, he iti māpihi pounamu”.
A small contribution can be as valuable as a precious stone.

Terms of Reference

Accountability

The National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee is established under Section 17 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (the ‘Act’). It is appointed by, and accountable to, the Minister of Health.

Purpose of the Committee

The role of the National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee is to provide advice to the Minister on any health epidemiology and quality assurance matters. It must specifically deal with perinatal, infant and child and adolescent morbidity and mortality issues and must, in providing its advice:

• ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that there is national co-ordination in the reporting of relevant health epidemiology and quality assurance matter
  • ensure that there is a capacity to improve health outcomes through quality assurance programmes directed to clinical providers

The advice given to the Minister is to be formulated after consultation by the Committee with DHBs and other persons involved in the provision of services, and any other persons that the Committee considers appropriate.

Key tasks:

1. To provide independent advice to the Minister on quality improvement in the health sector through monitoring of national quality initiatives and to advise the Minister on how clinical outcomes may be improved through such initiatives

2. To advise on data which needs to be collected, using and streamlining existing data collection systems where possible, to enable national conclusions to be drawn.

3. Give advice on priorities for epidemiological studies that will assist in improving clinical outcomes.

In developing its advice, the Committee will consider reports referred to it, including the following:

• Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee, and any other mortality review committee set up under Section 18 of the Act
• New Zealand Health Sector Quality Improvement Strategy
• Reportable Events Monitoring System
• Competency reviews under the proposed Health Professionals Competency Assurance legislation
• Compliance with the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
• Opinions of the Health and Disability Commissioner, under Section 45 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994

It will also:

• Identify data quality and analysis issues, identify information gaps and make recommendations on how to learn from, and prevent, system failures.
• Consider such matters as the Minister specifies by notice to the Committee, such as reporting on perinatal mortality review.
• Advise the Minister on clinical epidemiological matters that will improve clinical practice quality and support other quality assurance initiatives.
• The Committee may also commission, co-ordinate or undertake research projects for the development of advice but, where possible, build on existing and previous reports and policy work.

Membership

The National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee will have a maximum of ten members appointed by the Minister of Health. The Minister will appoint a Chairperson for the Committee, and the Committee will nominate a Deputy Chair from among their membership.

Members will have the ability to work strategically and co-operatively, and will have credibility in relevant communities.

Collectively the Committee will reflect the following:

• Knowledge of quality improvement and risk management, in particular of quality assurance in the health sector
• Knowledge of data and information gathering systems and analysis
• Knowledge of perinatal, infant and child and adolescent mortality
• Knowledge of clinical epidemiology
• Knowledge of District Health Board service provision and management
• Clinical experience
• Knowledge of Maori health
• Knowledge of Pacific Island health

The Committee will reflect, through its membership, work programme and the manner in which it carries out its tasks, consistency with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Committee may appoint sub-committees or establish working parties relevant to its agreed workplan. It may also co-opt expertise as necessary to assist both the main Committee and any sub-committees it may establish.

Term Of Membership

Members of the Committee will be appointed for a term of up to three years, and will be eligible to serve a second consecutive term to allow for continuity and the full use of increased experience and knowledge. Members will have staggered retiring dates to ensure a degree of continuity.

Reporting Requirements

The National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee is required to:

• Report as necessary, but at least once a year, to the Minister on its advice on the matters referred to in Section 17, subsections 1 – 6 of the Act.
• Keep a record of all Committee meetings, which outlines the matters discussed and includes a clear note of all decisions taken or recommendations made.

Frequency of Meetings

The timing and frequency of meetings will be determined by the tasks the Committee is required to fulfil and as part of its work programme to be agreed with the Minister. All meetings of the Committee will be convened by the Chair (or Deputy Chair) as appropriate.

Attendance Fees

Members of the National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee are entitled to be paid fees for attendance at meetings. The level of fees is set in accordance with the State Services Commission’s framework for fees for statutory bodies. The Chairperson will receive $450 per day working for the Committee (plus half a day’s preparation fee). The attendance fee for members is set at $320 per day working for the Committee (plus half a day’s preparation fee). These and actual and reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be met from the Committee’s budget.

Servicing of the Committee

The Ministry of Health will provide secretarial and analytical services to the National Health Epidemiology and Quality Assurance Advisory Committee.

Duties And Responsibilities Of A Member

• Committee members have a commitment to work for the greater good of the Committee. They are accountable to the Minister of Health.
• Committee members attend meetings and undertake Committee activities as independent persons responsible to the Committee as a whole.
• There is an expectation that Committee members will make every effort to attend all Committee meetings and devote sufficient time to become familiar with the affairs of the Committee and the wider environment within which it operates.
• Committee members have a duty to declare any conflict of interest (as defined in the Ministry of Health conflict of interest protocol for statutory bodies) which may prevent them from impartially and fairly carrying out their Committee duties.

Performance Measures

The Committee will be effectively meeting its key tasks when it provides relevant and timely advice to the Minister of Health based on research, analysis and consultation with appropriate bodies.

It must achieve its agreed work programme; and it must stay within its allocated budget.

Hon. Annette King
Minister of Health

Date: