Ministerial Advisory Group on Veterans' Health

The Ministerial Advisory Group on Veterans Health was established in April 2009 to provide independent external advice to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs on the following:

the way in which veterans’ specific service related health conditions should be addressed within the war pensions and veterans support systems; and
preventative measures for managing exposure to possible environmental contaminants;
on the management of service related health conditions to promote wellness and mechanisms for rehabilitation;
review submissions on contemporary battlefield hazards in relation to their potential affect on veterans' health, and advise Ministers.

The Advisory Group reported directly to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs (Hon Judith Collins). On its creation the Minister tasked the Advisory Group with the following tasks.

Vietnam Veterans

To consider whether the Institute of Medicine of the United States National Academy of Sciences (IOM) categorisation of conditions related to exposure to herbicide and health outcomes was valid. They were specifically asked whether the placement of Respiratory Cancer and Prostate Cancer on the IOM’s ‘limited or suggestive evidence of an association’ list was valid, or whether these conditions should be placed on the IOM’s ‘Sufficient Evidence of an Association’ list.

Nuclear Test Veterans

To assess the research undertaken by Massey University regarding the veterans, and provide advice on how the outcomes of the research could be used. This advice was to include whether any additional conditions should be added to the current list of conditions presumptively accepted as being service related for New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans.

Impairment Ratings

The MOU with the RNZRSA and EVSA recommended that the Advisory Group be asked to create uniform standards and criteria for the payment of War Disablement Pensions to ensure that all veterans with equal degrees of disability are treated fairly and consistently. The current practice when establishing percentages for War Disablement Pensions is to use the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides) to set percentages for individual disabilities. These are not adjusted using a system of total body impairment. ACC also use the AMA Guides but have a guide to their application.

Hearing Loss

In December 2010, the Advisory Group was requested to consider the issue of hearing loss in veterans. Specifically the Minister requested the Advisory Group provide advice on the following.

1. The levels and duration of noise exposure necessary to cause occupationally based hearing loss or tinnitus.

2. The progress of hearing loss following noise exposure including whether:
• The onset of hearing loss can be delayed and for how long; and
• If there is evidence that noise induced hearing loss or tinnitus progresses after noise exposure ends

3. The ability to distinguish between service related noise induced hearing loss or tinnitus and hearing loss resulting from age, subsequent work in a noisy industry or from participation in a variety of noisy recreational activities.

Where appropriate the Advisory Group has sought specialist opinions on the subjects that have been raised. It has then considered those opinions, along with its own knowledge of the subject to provide the Minister with answers to the information requested.

Click on the link to access the following reports: