Health Services Handbook

Tāngata Whaiora

Regular Force members are expected to access NZDF healthcare facilities (medical and dental) where they are available. There are a number of important reasons for this.

Firstly, it is important that your healthcare takes into account the nature of your role. NZDF healthcare providers will consider how your condition is best managed to get you back to your duties as soon as possible. They can assist in recommending modified duties where required and ensure you have access to health services that may not be easily accessible to you in the public health service.

Secondly, it is critical that Defence Health maintains a complete and accurate health record for you throughout the course of your service. This will allow Defence Health to provide individualised healthcare for the best long-term health outcomes for you. Thirdly, the NZDF needs to understand the current health status of the Regular Force to ensure safe employment of personnel and operational effectiveness.

Finally, your publicly funded access to primary healthcare is through Defence Health. You are not eligible to enrol with a civilian doctor and receive subsidised care. Defence Health will provide you free care across all of our primary healthcare services, including dental, physiotherapy and social services, which are areas you would need to pay for or wait for in the civilian health system.

If you are unable to access a Defence Health Centre (DHC) or Defence Dental Centre (DDC), because you are posted remote from a Camp or Base, you will require prior approval from the manager of your DHC or DDC in order to claim back the cost of seeing a civilian doctor (see page 49 for more information on making an expense claim).

Note: It is your responsibility to ensure the details of treatment by any external providers are sent to your DHC or DDC so they can be added to your health record.

Book in to have a chat with your NZDF doctor about it (if you are a Regular Force member) or your general practitioner (if you are a member of the Reserve or Territorial Force). They’ll assess whether you may be eligible for additional screening or preventative care.

The NZDF aims to keep you safely employed with tasks and duties appropriate to your health and fitness levels. When you are injured or ill, you may have to take a break from some duties or tasks until you recover.

Your NZDF healthcare team will work with you to minimise the impact of health conditions on your career and get you back to optimal duty.

If you experience long-term health issues that significantly impact your ability to perform your required duties, the NZDF will give careful consideration as to how you can best be safely employed (see page 25 Medical Review of Service). Many personnel with long-term health conditions are employed effectively throughout the NZDF, including in operational roles.

Career decisions around promotions are not regularly impacted by health status. Specific medical gradings are not part of promotion criteria for Single Services, but having an up-to-date medical grade is (regardless of the actual grade).

Defence Health takes your privacy very seriously – only those directly involved in your healthcare can access your health records. Different health providers can see some sections of your record but not others.

Defence Health uses separate health information record and storage systems that can only be accessed by NZDF healthcare providers. Command and HR cannot access these records.

If you have specific concerns, discuss this with your healthcare provider.

Information, including any diagnoses or treatments, is not routinely shared with Command. Command are only made aware of any limitations on duties that may result from your health condition. This is done through medical and dental assessments, the grading system and medical restricted duties forms (see pages 20–26).

In some instances, it may be important to involve your Command in your treatment and recovery plan. This is particularly helpful where your workplace or duties can be modified by Command to assist your recovery.

Your consent will be requested before any detailed health information is shared, and this information will be limited to what is required to best assist you. You are encouraged to have conversations directly with your Command and let them know how they can support you. Your healthcare provider can assist with these discussions.

The New Zealand Health Information Privacy Code 2020 details very specific circumstances, generally relating to serious risks to public health or safety, when your health information may be shared without your consent.

NZDF doctors are experienced in assessing military medical gradings. They will discuss your grade with you and explain the implications. Any significant changes of medical gradings are routinely reviewed by a second NZDF doctor to ensure gradings are appropriate before they are confirmed.

If you have queries about the outcome of your med board, you can contact your Defence Health Centre manager, or the doctor who informed you of your medical grading, and ask for this to be further explained.

A temporary non-deployable grade will not impact your career. If you have a long-term or permanent restriction that significantly limits your duties of trade or deployability, you may require a Medical Review of Service.

Gradings provide Command with information about your limitations (if any), without disclosing your medical information. Clearance to deploy is given by Command once they have considered the advice given by medical and dental practitioners.

Make an appointment with your Defence Health Centre (for Regular Force members) or your general practitioner (for Reserve or Territorial Force members) any time you have a health concern. It’s always worth checking in with your healthcare team, and they will be happy to see you – even if you aren’t sure whether your symptoms are anything to be worried about.

You can also speak to a nurse or medic for an initial assessment and advice on whether you need to see a doctor. Getting on to things early will help prevent health issues from becoming more serious.

You can request a repeat prescription by phone or email from your Defence Health Centre (for Regular Force members) or by contacting your general practitioner’s clinic (for Reserve or Territorial Force members).

In some cases, your script may be filled without further consultation being required. In other cases, you may need a blood test or blood pressure check when you collect your prescription, and some medication will require you to be seen by your healthcare provider within a set period.

Submit your repeat prescription request at least a week before you need it. If you require medication urgently, ensure you inform your Defence Health Centre staff of this.

You don’t need to disclose what health and wellbeing services you are accessing, but you will need to let your Command know if you need to attend an appointment during work hours. Providing Command with some context will make it easier if you need to ask for changes to your usual work routine or tasks, or if you will be unable to attend a planned unit activity or exercise.

You may contact your Defence Health Centre and request that confirmation of a medical appointment be sent to your Command. Your health is a high priority for Command. If you are having problems being released, contact your Defence Health Centre for assistance resolving the issue.

You have the right to see a health provider of your choice. Your Defence Health Centre will do its best to ensure you see the health provider you request where that is practical.

Many service personnel have had mental health challenges, recovered well and deployed. Just like physical injuries, your NZDF healthcare providers will assess your mental health concern and work with you to develop a recovery plan. Sometimes, that means you need to stay close to medical support and/or be given modified duties for a period of time in order to support your recovery.

If you are required to deploy, your NZDF healthcare team will assess how your recovery is going and determine the safest plan for you.

They will take into consideration how your recovery is progressing and the nature of the mission. If your mental health challenge is assessed as being well managed and there is adequate support in place, you should be able to deploy.

NZDF doctors will communicate any restrictions to your duties to your unit and Command through your medical gradings. They will not share information about your condition.

As part of your recovery, you will be encouraged to surround yourself with a good support network. Command, or other trusted leaders that know your situation, can be a key part of that. Your NZDF health and wellbeing provider will help you make a support plan, including discussing what you are comfortable sharing and with who.

All NZDF healthcare providers are required to notify key people who are responsible for your wellbeing if they have serious concerns about your health and safety.

If you are a member of the Regular Force, you can contact NZDF4U wellbeing support about any wellbeing issue you want help with. This can include anything, including general stress, depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, financial worries, post-deployment problems, and transitioning out of NZDF. The healthcare professional will help direct you towards the best support for you. If you are a member of the Reserve or Territorial Force, you can seek support for any NZDF-related issues.

Yes. All your communications with NZDF4U wellbeing support is confidential – no personal details are sent to the NZDF. You will only be asked to provide some basic demographic information for reporting purposes, such as whether you are a Regular Force, Reserve or Territorial Force, ex-serving, or a family member. The counsellor will only know your name if you choose to provide it.

You may be asked if you are comfortable with relevant health information being shared with the NZDF so it can be added to your NZDF health record and/or additional support arranged through the NZDF, but this is voluntary.