Diana Sarfati

At the time of the hearing Diana Sarfati (MBChB, MPH, PhD, FNZCPHM) was the Director-General of Health, and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health, and had been appointed to the role while Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission carries out appointment processes for the permanent position. Dr Sarfati is a public health physician, cancer epidemiologist and health services researcher. At the time of the hearing Dr Safarti was the Tumuaki Chief Executive and National Director of the Cancer Control Agency Te Aho o Te Kahu. From 2015-2019, Dr Sarfati was the co-head and then head of the Department of Public Health and the Director of the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) research group at University of Otago, Wellington.

John Crawshaw

At the time of the hearing Dr John Crawshaw (MBChB, FRANZCP) was the Director of Mental Health and Addiction, which are statutory roles under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, and Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017.  Since 1 July 2022, Dr Crawshaw had assumed responsibility for the statutory and regulatory functions for the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003, under the delegated authority of the Director-General. Dr Crawshaw’s background is forensic psychiatry, and he previously held a number of senior management positions, including as General Manager of Mental Health, Elderly and Disability Services for Capital Coast Health (Crown Health Enterprise) between 1993-1998, and prior to returning to New Zealand in 2011, he was the Chief Forensic Psychiatrist and Chief Executive Officer of Statewide and Mental Health Services in Tasmania, Australia.

Arran Culver

At the time of the hearing Dr Arran Culver (MBChB, FRANZCP) was the Acting Associate Deputy Director-General, Mental Health and Addiction. Prior to taking up that role, Dr Culver worked for two and a half years as the Chief Clinical Advisor for the Mental Health and Addiction Directorate (as it then was) at the Ministry of Health. Dr Culver is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and has worked in the mental health sector for 25 years.  Dr Culver was previously the Deputy Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health from 2012-2015.