A4.30 Factors considered when determining acceptable standard of health (26/07/1999)

The three main areas to be considered by the consultant physician in evaluating the applicant's (and any accompanying dependants') standard of health, and whether or not they will be a burden on the health services of New Zealand, are:

• the condition and prognosis of the applicant
• the resources required for care
• the availability of the required resources.

In each of these areas several factors are considered, as outlined below.

A4.30.1 Condition and Prognosis

Under this heading, the following factors may be considered:

1. the disease/disability and the stage of the disease/disability, including symptoms;
2. the treatment and likely duration of symptoms;
3. the probable quality of life, and/or functioning;
4. life expectancy;
5. the likely course of disease (eg, remission periods, increasing disability over time, etc).

A4.30.5 Resources required for care

The resources required for care are likely to include the following:

1. hospitalisation/treatment;
2. the likely frequency of hospital admissions;
3. the need for immediate treatment;
4. the need for ongoing secondary/tertiary/specialist care;
5. the availability and need for ongoing medication or high cost medication;
6. ongoing management and/or treatment required;
7. support services likely to be used and frequency of use; ie:
   1. primary services (GP, home nursing, other health professionals, etc),
   2. community health services (home help, meals on wheels, day care, forms of relief care, etc),
   3. specific disability support services (appliances, residential care, etc).

A4.30.10 Availability of the required resources

Factors relating to the availability of resources needed by the applicant may include the following:

1. whether the type of condition is treated in New Zealand, or managed in New Zealand;
2. whether the hospital-based care services required are restricted to certain levels of clinical need (eg, elective surgery) or are unlikely to be supplied in New Zealand;
3. whether other treatment/investigation/management required is clinically restricted (eg, specialist-only pharmaceuticals);
4. whether any other health support services required have waiting times or are not available immediately or restricted according to clinical urgency, or there are other resource constraints.

Effective 26/07/1999