Catch up on what health care lawyers and senior health administrators need to consider to effectively mitigate risks associated with assisted dying by doctors, and AI use in health care. Gain valuable insights to prepare for a disciplinary hearing. Take a deep dive into penalties, name suppressions, criminal convictions, health impairments, and boundary violations in professional conduct proceedings. Receive valuable advice on how to make the right impression on the Medical Council of New Zealand, plus updates on new trends emerging from the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

Presenters

Nick Laing, Partner, Duncan Cotterill
Nick is a litigation lawyer, practising in civil and commercial litigation. Nick is also a medico-legal expert. Nick acts for health service providers and health practitioners alike in health practitioner discipline and negligence claims, including before the Coroner, Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, Health and Disability Commissioner, Privacy Commissioner and Ombudsmen. Nick also regularly advises on medico-legal aspects including duty of care, patient consent, privacy and treatment issues, and applied aspects of intensivist treatment. Nick advises health service providers with complex inquiries into patient care and treatment and has presented nationally on end-of-life care matters, including in relation to advance care planning and the End of Life Choice Act.


Ellie Wilson, Partner, Govett Quilliam
Ellie has a particular interest and expertise in all areas of health law including ACC processes, complaints and investigations, civil claims, professional disciplinary processes, and privacy matters. Ellie is passionate about supporting Mums and whanau and is a Board Trustee for the Little Miracles Trust (formally the Neonatal Trust). Ellie also sits on the Clinical Ethics Advisory Group at Taranaki Base Hospital and is a member of the NZLS Health and Disability Law Reform Committee. Ellie hosts a quarterly medico-legal discussion group open to anyone interested in the intersection between health and the law.


Professor Lois Surgenor, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago
Lois is a Professor in Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch and the Health Sciences Divisional Associate Dean (Academic). She previously chaired a New Zealand regulatory authority (New Zealand Psychologists Board, 2002-2011) and the collective health regulatory authorities (Health Regulatory Authorities NZ, 2010-2013). She has researched disciplinary and health rehabilitation for 17 years, using quantitative/qualitative research designs. As a clinical psychologist, she has supervised disciplined practitioners who have been subject to supervision and educative penalties. Lois is the Co-Principal Investigator (with Professor K Diesfeld) on the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund study “A rehabilitation model for professional discipline”.


Wendy Aldred KC, Stout Street Chambers
Wendy is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer with a longstanding interest in health law. Admitted to the Bar in 1995, Wendy worked in private law firms in New Zealand and England and at Crown Law before joining the independent Bar in 2007. Wendy acts for a wide range of public and private sector clients. Her work in health law has included acting as counsel in disciplinary proceedings in the HPDT, applications for judicial review, public inquiries and Coroner’s inquests.


Dr Katie Ben, Lead Clinical Advisor - Assisted Dying Secretariat, Specialist Anaesthetist, Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough
Katie trained and qualified in anaesthesia in the UK. She moved to New Zealand in 2009 and has been a specialist anaesthetist in the Nelson region since moving here. She joined the Assisted Dying secretariat as Lead Clinical Advisor in June 2024, having been a provider of the service since 2022. Katie is passionate about providing equitable care for all patients regardless of geographical isolation and has obtained her private pilot’s licence to make the West Coast of the South Island more accessible.


Aisling Weir, Special Counsel, Buddle Findlay
Aisling is a senior commercial lawyer who specialises in health sector procurement and contracting, health technology, and the regulation of medicines and medical devices. She has held various in-house and secondment roles including with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Health New Zealand. Aisling has acted for a wide range of public and private health sector organisations including PHOs, primary health providers, digital health service providers, private surgical groups, clinics and facilities, pharmaceutical companies, medical device businesses, medicinal cannabis businesses, health professional regulators.


Professor Kate Diesfeld, JD, Law School, Auckland University of Technology
Kate has held legal advocacy roles with disabled people in Alaska, California and England. She held, or holds, academic roles at Kent School (England), the University of Waikato (New Zealand) and Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand). She co-edited Involuntary Detention and Therapeutic Jurisprudence (2003) and Elder Law in New Zealand (2014). She is an Associate Editor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine and Convenor of the Law Society’s Mental Health and Disability Sub-Committee. At Auckland Disability Law, she is a Steering Group member. She is Co-Principal Investigator on the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund study, “A rehabilitation model for professional discipline”.