PODIATRISTS BOARD OF NEW ZEALAND

The Board operates under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 and is the regulatory body for the occupation of podiatry (and chiropody) in New Zealand. The Board's primary role is to protect the public interest by ensuring that podiatrists are safe and competent to practice. Anyone who wishes to practice in New Zealand as a podiatrist, MUST be registered with the Board AND hold a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC).(NB: First time APC applicants must provide evidence of a current 2 hour CPR certificate.)

• Registration queries for both NZ and overseas trained podiatrists, go to "Registration" in the left-hand box.
• Practitioner queries about APC and re-certification requirements, go to "Practitioners" then "Re-certification requirements" in the left-hand box. The Podiatrists Board Recertification Framework (PBRCF) is essential reading before you apply for your APC.

• Revised logbook requirements were introduced on 1 April 2011. If you have not already completed your logbook, please use these forms. Please refer to the full changes summarised here , flowchart and PBRCF credit requirements .The previous Recertification Evidential Documents and sample logbook may still be used if you wish.

• Returning to practice after 3 years or more, go to the Board's Return to Practice policy. Please note practitioners who have not practised in New Zealand for 5 years or more are now required to sit the Board's Open Book Exam as a requirement to renewing their APC.
• PBRCF Prior Endorsed Providersare listed here. The Board automatically recognises credits for courses run by these organisations. 

How to register

Podiatry is a registered occupation in New Zealand. This means that you must not commence practising as a podiatrist unless:

• you have been registered with the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand and
• hold a current Annual Practising Certificate.

Podiatrists and the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

"Podiatrist" means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Podiatrists Board as a practitioner of the profession of podiatry.

The principal purpose of this Act is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practice their professions.

The Act seeks to attain it's principal purpose by providing for, among other things:

1. a consistent accountability regime for all health professions; and
2. the determination for each health practitioner of the scope of practice within which he or she is competent to practise; and
3. systems to ensure that no health practitioner practises in that capacity outside their scope of practice; and
4. power to restrict specified activities to particular classes of health practitioner to protect members of the public from the risk of serious or permanent harm; and
5. certain protections for health practitioners who take part in protected quality assurance activities; and
6. additional health professions to become subject to this Act.

Scopes of Practice

In order to meet the requirements of Section 11 of the HPCA Act, the Podiatrists Board has formally adopted four scopes of practice for the profession, and the qualification specifications for each scope.

1. PODIATRIST

A registered primary health care practitioner (including those previously registered as a chiropodist) who utilises medical, physical, palliative and surgical means other than those prescribed in the Podiatric Surgeon Scope of Practice, to provide diagnostic, preventative and rehabilitative treatment of conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs.

Qualification:A Bachelor of Health Science in Podiatry from an accredited New Zealand University or a National Diploma in Podiatry or Chiropody from the Central Institute of Technology or equivalent overseas qualification as determined by the Podiatrists Board.

2. PODIATRIC SURGEON

A registered primary health care practitioner who holds the scope of practice of podiatrist and is further qualified to perform foot surgery by way of sharp toe nail wedge resection; surgical correction of lesser digital deformities affecting the phalanges, metatarsals and associated structures; surgical corrections of deformities affecting the first toe, first metatarsal and associated structures; surgical correction of osseous deformities of the metatarsus, mid-tarsus, rearfoot and associated structures; surgical correction and removal of pathological subcutaneous structures such as tendinous and nervous tissues and other connective soft tissue masses of the foot. (The Podiatrists Board does not approve of any Podiatric Surgeon performing any procedure beyond their competence, training and qualifications.)  Qualification: A Post Graduate qualification in Podiatric Surgery as determined by the Podiatrists Board or equivalent overseas qualification.

3. PODIATRIC RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGER

A registered primary health care practitioner who holds the scope of practice of podiatrist, who is qualified to use radiological equipment, and is licensed by the National Radiation Laboratory, to obtain plain radiographic images of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Qualification: As part of the New Zealand undergraduate Bachelor of Health Science in Podiatry or satisfactory completion of an accredited post graduate training course in podiatric radiography

4. VISITING PODIATRIST EDUCATOR/ PRESENTER

A visiting registered podiatrist who qualifies for the scope of practice of Podiatrist, and when appropriate for their speciality area of education, also qualifies for an additional scope of practice of Podiatric Surgeon and / or Podiatric Radiographic Imager as determined by the Podiatrists Board, who is presenting short-term educational / instructional programmes requiring demonstrations or practices, of a clinical or practical nature. Qualification: Qualifications as to the individual educator speciality areas as recognised by the Podiatrists Board.

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