NZDF primary health care explained

NZDF health services

NZDF Regular Force personnel

Regular Force members have access to comprehensive healthcare and preventative health measures to maintain the health standard required to meet the demands of military service. This includes primary healthcare (including oral health); trauma and emergency management (at DHC's that provide this service); and occupational health monitoring and advice. Defence Health also facilitates access to secondary/tertiary care provision.

Regular Force personnel on leave

Personnel on leave in New Zealand (including Leave Without Pay) are entitled to access the same level of care as if on duty. All treatments are to be arranged in consultation with a Defence Health Centre (DHC) facility.

Reserve Force personnel

Reserve Force personnel undertaking duties on NZDF exercises or activities can access Defence Health services in the event of a health emergency. They may also access other available NZDF health support services when the nature of the health issue and the context of the activity (e.g. geographical location and or exercise duration) makes it appropriate to do so.

Note. Reserve Force personnel on a Short-Term Regular Force Engagement are deemed to be Regular Force and are therefore entitled to the same conditions as those in the Regular Force. For operational service and overseas posting, consult with your posting authority to confirm access to Defence Health services.

NZDF Civilian staff

NZDF civil staff can access Defence Health services in Camps and Bases, in the event of a health emergency only. Defence Health will provide emergency treatment until the point that external public health providers are available to take over care. Once the emergency treatment has been completed, any subsequent treatment is to be provided by public health providers. All associated costs are the responsibility of the individual.

Note: NZDF civilian staff, members of NZ government agencies, and civilian guests of the NZDF on NZDF activities, may be able to access the same health treatment as Regular Force personnel for the duration of the activity in accordance with specific instruction related to the activity.

Released personnel

Personnel who have commenced a course of treatment prior to release may have that treatment managed by Defence Health at the discretion of the Chief Medical Officer/Chief Dental Officer, or be referred to an outside provider. This is to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. A released military person may also be entitled to coverage by Veterans Affairs New Zealand.

Other groups

For more information on provision of care for NZDF community members, Cadet Forces, Youth Development Units and more, refer to the NZDF Health Policy: Health Instruction: 018/16: Access to Healthcare.

NZDF healthcare provisions

The Health Services Catalogue (HSC) documents detail the agreed scope of services that health providers should deliver and make available to NZDF serving personnel. For more information regarding NZDF Health policy, updated versions, or additional services please speak with your doctor.

Regular Force personnel: accessing external providers

Standard medical care - service personnel who require care where a Defence Health facility is not available, may obtain medical treatment from a civilian provider with pre-approval from Defence Health. In cases of medical emergency, service personnel are not required to gain pre-approval.

If you need care from an external provider, retain a certificate and/or receipt for reimbursement of fees, as well as a copy of your medical notes so they can be entered into your NZDF health records.

Medical boards

Medical boards – also referred to as “medicals” and “med boards” – are occupational medical assessments for Regular Force members. Medical boards allow your Defence Health team to address any health concerns that arise over the course of your career.

These assessments are an important part of keeping you – and your teammates – safe and effective in your role. Your medical board is also used to determine your medical grading (see Medical grading explained, below).

There are 3 types of occupational medical assessments:

Routine – see table below.
Clinical – your grading will be reviewed whenever you present with a clinical condition which impacts your employability or deployability.
Directed – your grading will be reviewed for specific situations (e.g. an operational deployment) where, due to the nature of the NZDF activity, a formal assessment is mandated.

Routine occupational medical assessments:

Recruit Medical	To assess the potential recruit against the Recruit Medical Standards Specifications.
Pre-Attestation Health Check	To identify any health issues which have arisen between the Recruit Medical and Attestation.
Initial Service Medical (approximately 12 months post Attestation)	To ensure trade-specific occupational care health plans have been put in place, to conduct a review of your health following initial training and to familiarise you with healthcare services available within the NZDF.
Service Medical	Starting at age 25, these 5-yearly occupational health assessments will identify any impacts on employability or deployability and ensure all occupational health and clinical screening is up to date. They will also include New Zealand best practice age-related health screening, such as for diabetes, prostate, and cardiovascular risk.
Release Medical	To document any significant clinical and occupational health events during your service, to ensure your health record is accurate, and to provide an assessment of your health condition on leaving the NZDF to facilitate transfer to non-NZDF providers. Please take a printed copy of your service history from SAP to your Release Medical. Your partner or a whānau member is also welcome – and encouraged – to attend.

During your medical, your doctor or Medical Officer (MO) will usually run through a general health screen, vision and hearing checks, and any job-related tests you might need. It’s also the time for you to raise any issues or concerns you might have, including alerting them to any hazards or conditions in your job that might impact your health.

For example, if you’re regularly exposed to loud noise, you may need frequent hearing tests. If you work with lead, you’ll require annual blood tests. Or if your role involves specific weapons systems, Defence Health can help track and manage any related risks.

So when it’s time for your medical, come prepared – your input matters, and it helps us look after you better.

Understanding your medical grading

Your doctor will translate your overall health assessment into a medical grading. Medical grades provide the NZDF with an understanding of the health status of its personnel without including any medical-in-confidence information. In the same way, it alerts your Command to any limitations on your employability or deployability while you recover from an injury or illness.

Note: You can view your medical grading by logging into ESS on the NZDF intranet, selecting ‘Employee Services Area’, and selecting ‘Fitness and Medical Related Data’.

Your grading can change over time, especially if you’re managing a health concern or recovering from an injury. In those cases, your grade may be adjusted to make sure you’re not asked to do duties that could slow down your recovery.

Sometimes this means you won’t be able to deploy or take part in vigorous activities for a while – but the focus is always on supporting a safe and timely recovery. If your condition needs closer monitoring, your doctor or MO may schedule more frequent reviews (every 3, 6, or 12 months).

It’s natural to wonder about the long-term impact of a downgrade. Permanent non-deployable gradings are rare, and are only given after thorough review and consultation with a senior MO.

For more information on grading, including waivers, medical regrading, and Medical Review of Service, consult your Defence Health Services Handbook, Tāngata Whaiora.

For more detailed information on how medical gradings are categorised, click here. You can also talk to your local doctor or MO about any questions or concerns you may have.

Recovery pathways

Recovery pathways are all about how your Defence Health team works with you to get you back to full health and operational readiness after an injury or illness.

Think of them as a roadmap. They set out what you and your healthcare providers can expect – the stages of recovery, the support available along the way, and a rough idea of how long recovery might take.

Your pathway is shaped around your specific situation and could include things like temporary changes to your work, such as being put on Light Duties, or adjustments to your medical grading. The aim is always the same: helping you recover in a safe, timely, and sustainable way, so you can get back to full fitness and return to duty.

Want to see how this works in real life? Check out an example of a seriously sprained ankle below.

For further information on how the NZDF will support your rehabilitation from injury, click here.