Saskia Patton  

Manager Ethics, Regulatory Services Group, Ministry of Health

Saskia Patton is the Manager, Ethics in the Regulatory Services group at the Ministry of Health. She brings over two decades of experience in government, with expertise in health policy and regulatory frameworks. Saskia began her career at the Ministry of Health as a policy adviser, working across pharmaceutical, ethics, and primary care portfolios.
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She recently returned to the health sector, initially serving as a director at Health New Zealand (HNZ), and for the past 18 months has led the ethics team. Her extensive public sector experience includes leading budget bids, supporting Ministers, and driving the development and delivery of government strategies. Saskia has worked across a diverse range of areas including on climate change, health and safety, urban development, and justice sector policy.

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HDEC Updates 

The Health and Disability Ethics Committees (HDECs) play a critical role in safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of participants in health and disability research in Aotearoa New Zealand. Operating under the National Ethics Advisory Committee’s guidelines, HDEC oversight provides assurance to participants, researchers, and the public that research is conducted with integrity, care, and respect. This presentation outlines current HDEC workloads and operational pressures and highlights the Ministry of Health’s programme to improve the quality and timeliness of ethics reviews. Informed by recent data and stakeholder feedback, our focus includes streamlining approval pathways, exploring options to improve timeliness and strengthening support for committee members.