Honest records, claims, declarations and conflicts of interest for New Zealand health practitioners
3CPD hours
20final questions
80%pass mark
PDFcertificate
What you will learn
Define probity and identify the areas of practice where honesty is tested, including records, certificates, claims, declarations, credentials, research and commercial dealings.
Explain how the HPCA Act 2003, the Code of Rights and your responsible authority's code apply to honesty and integrity.
Distinguish honest error, carelessness, recklessness and dishonesty, and explain why concealment escalates a concern.
Make accurate, contemporaneous records and correctly labelled late entries, and apply the 10-year retention requirement.
Apply MCNZ's medical certification principles to any certificate or report you sign.
Invoice ACC and other funders honestly, and describe the actions ACC can take when invoicing is irregular.
Make complete, truthful APC, registration and recertification declarations and represent your credentials accurately.
Recognise, declare and manage conflicts of interest and apply research integrity standards.
Describe how probity concerns are handled by HDC, Professional Conduct Committees and the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, including penalties under section 101.
Demonstrate insight and plan verifiable remediation following a probity concern.
About this course
This course explains what probity means for registered health practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand and how it is tested every day: in clinical records and late entries, medical certificates and reports, ACC and other funding claims, gifts and bequests, APC and recertification declarations, CVs and advertising, research and audit, and conflicts of interest. It sets out the legal and professional framework under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 and the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, and the specific honesty standards of the Medical Council, Nursing Council, Midwifery Council, Dental Council, Pharmacy Council and other responsible authorities.
It is written for doctors, nurses, midwives, oral health practitioners, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, psychologists and other practitioners registered under the HPCA Act. It suits anyone wanting to strengthen everyday practice, and practitioners who are responding to a concern about honesty raised by HDC, ACC, an employer, their responsible authority or a Professional Conduct Committee.
Dishonesty is treated more seriously than most clinical error because it undermines trust in everything a practitioner records and says. The course shows how concerns move through HDC, Professional Conduct Committees and the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, what the Tribunal can do, and how practitioners show insight and remediation that can help restore trust. New Zealand case examples run throughout, with practical steps you can apply immediately.
Course facts
CPD value
Approximately 3 CPD hours (estimated learning time including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)
Audience
Health practitioners registered under the HPCA Act 2003: doctors, nurses, midwives, oral health practitioners, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, psychologists and other allied professions, including those responding to a concern about honesty
Standards covered
HPCA Act 2003 (ss 100–101); Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights; MCNZ Good medical practice, Medical certification, Commercial organisations and Advertising statements; Nursing Council Code of Conduct; Midwifery Council Code of Conduct; Dental Council Standards Framework and Advertising standard; Pharmacy Council Code of Ethics 2018; Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996; ACC provider expectations; NEAC National Ethical Standards
Format
Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, case studies and reflection
Assessment
20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)
Outcome
Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your CPD record
Alignment
Mapped to the honesty and integrity standards of the Medical Council, Nursing Council, Midwifery Council, Dental Council, Pharmacy Council and other responsible authorities under the HPCA Act; independent and not endorsed by any of them
Syllabus
11 sections, 3 CPD hours, 20-question final assessment
1Probity in Aotearoa New Zealand practice3 lessons
What probity means for a registered health practitioner
Trust, power and equity: why honesty matters in the New Zealand context
Error, carelessness and dishonesty: drawing the line
2The legal and professional framework for honesty3 lessons
The HPCA Act, responsible authorities and the Code of Rights
What each profession's standards say about honesty
Probity beyond the clinic: conduct outside work and convictions
3Honest records, certificates and reports3 lessons
Record integrity: contemporaneous notes, late entries and alterations
Certificates, reports and forms that others rely on
Records, data and reporting in organisations
4Money, billing and ACC claims3 lessons
Claiming honestly from ACC
Fees, subsidies, funded services and prescriptions
Gifts, loans, bequests and financial dealings with patients
5Declarations, credentials, CPD and advertising3 lessons
Honest declarations to your responsible authority
CVs, job applications, titles and scope
Advertising and public statements
6Research integrity and conflicts of interest2 lessons
Honesty in research, audit and publication
Recognising and managing conflicts of interest
7When honesty is questioned: HDC, PCC and the Tribunal3 lessons
How a probity concern moves through the system
How the Tribunal approaches dishonesty
Responding honestly when a concern is raised
8Insight, remediation and a career built on integrity3 lessons
Insight and reflection after a probity concern
Remediation that rebuilds trust
Everyday habits that protect integrity
9Conclusion and key points1 lesson
Conclusion and key points
10References and further reading1 lesson
References and further reading
11Your reflective account1 lesson
Your reflective account
Who this course is for
Health practitioners registered under the HPCA Act 2003: doctors, nurses, midwives, oral health practitioners, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, psychologists and other allied professions, including those responding to a concern about honesty.
Continuing professional development record for your portfolio.
Your name, the course title and the CPD hours
Completion date and a unique certificate ID that can be verified
Downloads as a PDF; save it to your portfolio
Fitness To Practice
Certificate of Completion
This certifies that
Your Name
has successfully completed
Probity and Honesty in Practice
Completed12 Oct 2026
3CPD hours
Certificate IDFTS-7Q4K-2M9X
Continuing professional development record — New Zealand
Questions about this course
What does probity mean for a registered health practitioner in New Zealand?
Probity means honesty and integrity in every part of professional life: notes and retrospective entries, certificates and reports you sign, ACC or other funder invoices, practising certificate and recertification declarations, CVs, advertising and research. Under the HPCA Act 2003, conduct likely to bring discredit to the profession can lead to a disciplinary charge, and dishonesty is one of the most common ways practitioners reach that point.
Does the probity course explain how to answer APC declarations honestly?
Yes. Every annual practising certificate application includes declarations about fitness and competence, and the Pharmacy Council warns that false or misleading declarations may result in an application being declined. The course shows how to make complete, truthful APC, registration and recertification declarations, how to describe your credentials accurately, and why concealing a matter usually makes a concern far more serious.
Is this probity course approved by the Medical Council or Nursing Council?
No. It is independent education. None of the New Zealand responsible authorities we checked approves outside CPD courses on a general basis. You may still count it towards recertification when it matches your PDP and the scope you practise in, but we never claim council approval or a fixed credit value.
Can I complete the probity course if a Professional Conduct Committee is looking at my conduct?
Yes, and many practitioners use structured learning to show insight and remediation. However, where a council or the Tribunal has ordered education or conditions, that body decides and monitors what counts, so confirm with whoever set the order, your supervisor or your lawyer that this course fits before you sign up. No result in HDC, PCC or Tribunal proceedings can be promised.
How long does the probity course take and how is it assessed?
The course is worth 3 CPD hours and is studied entirely online, at your own speed, from the moment you enrol. Every section ends with a quick check, and the course closes with twenty questions; sixteen correct (80%) is a pass. That unlocks your certificate and a guided reflective account on honesty in your own practice. The price is NZ$139.
Accurate, honest and defensible notes: what a good entry contains, late entries and corrections, AI scribes, access requests and the 10-year retention rule.
Sexual and non-sexual boundaries, gifts, dual relationships in small communities and social media, with the zone of helpfulness and culturally safe practice.