Senior hospital doctors intend to fight to regain their say over who sits on the Medical Council.
Doctors used to elect some members of the Medical Council, which is their key regulatory body.
All are now appointed by the Minister of Health who may pick some nominated by the profession.
Radio New Zealand's health correspondent says the doctors believed the former government was set to regulate to alter that, but they learned on Thursday that was defeated by lobbying by the Nurses Council and the Ministry of Health.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says they want to guard against political interference and the "dumbing down" of medical standards.
