It’s been a week since the announcement from EQC that the organisation is undertaking consultation regarding a new claims dispute resolution service and today Ali Jones finally managed to connect with an EQC person on the phone to ask more about the verbal submission process.

After a couple of calls where the EQC customer service person had no idea what she was ringing about and didn’t know anything about the consultation, one voice message that was unintelligible and two more calls that couldn’t go to the appropriate team as they were “too busy”. Today Jones managed to make contact and was surprised to learn there is no opportunity to present a verbal submission.

“I know what a verbal submission is,” she says. “I have worked in local government and have an awareness of the central government verbal submission process so to find out today that EQCs verbal submission process is someone asking the submitter about 25 questions, writing down the responses and then submitting them to EQC, I was really disappointed.”

Jones says one of the key issues with EQC and what was highlighted in the Dame Silvia Cartwright review of the organisation, was the poor engagement and communication with claimants – the people and families trying to get their lives and homes back.

“To further remove the opportunity for people to submit using their own voices and experiences sadly suggests EQC has learnt nothing in the last decade. I can fill in my own form (which by the way online is exactly the same as the questions asked for a “verbal submission”) and I didn’t want to do that; it was important for me to be able to verbally express my concerns and questions about this new service.”

Jones is attending an online session tomorrow which is part of the consultation and has been described as a “presentation” from EQC followed by “an opportunity for questions”. It is showing as lasting for 30 minutes.

Ali Jones encourages as many people as possible to take part in the consultation.

Additional

https://www.eqc.govt.nz/about-eqc/community-input/consultations/nhi-act-dispute-resolution-scheme/

If you would like to attend one of the 30-minute sessions below, please email publicconsultation@eqc.govt.nz and they will send you a link.

Friday 16 February, 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday 19 February, 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

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