About NEQIP

Supporting the ideal patient experience

The National Endoscopy Quality Improvement Programme (NEQIP) aims to facilitate safe, patient-focused endoscopy services throughout New Zealand that are efficient, accountable, equitable and sustainable. A national coordinated approach has been adopted to improve service quality across organisations by optimising patient-focused endoscopy unit performance.

Our approach to supporting the ideal patient experience is centred around a national framework of quality standards, the New Zealand Global Rating Scale (NZGRS). The NZGRS is a web-based service improvement tool that enables endoscopy units to assess how well they provide a patient-centred service. Units are required to complete a self-assessment census review every six months.

The NZGRS standards are accompanied by a suite of resources within the web-based Knowledge Management System (KMS) which allows users to share knowledge and best practice, supporting units to develop local solutions for local quality issues.

The NEQIP team provide national leadership, working collaboratively with Te Whatu Ora/the Ministry of Health and the health sector, to embed the NZGRS standards within all publicly funded endoscopy services. Since November 2020, Waitaha, Canterbury, has been contracted by Te Whatu Ora to host the delivery of the programme. 

Service users may access the NZGRS website via the following link: JAG NZ

Stakeholding Organisations

Engagement with the public sector remains crucial to effecting change and progressing quality improvements. The NEQIP team work with key staff in all the endoscopy units to optimise NZGRS compliance. The NEQIP team are closely linked to other key stakeholding organisations, including the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology, the Endoscopy Guidance Group for New Zealand and the National Bowel Screening Programme.