Immediate changes will be made to make sure victims of crime are notified when mental health authorities release offenders.

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has moved on the issue after a case in west Auckland when a man came face to face with his attacker, in his local supermarket.

Victims are informed when offenders are released from ordinary prisons, but it seems it's a different system for those detained under mental health rules.

Sam Lotu-Iiga admits it appears the two processes aren't aligned.

We'll be having a cross agency meeting to work out what needs to be done to bring the Ministry of Health's processes up to an acceptable level, but certainly we've changed the way that they initially notify these victims."

Lotu-Iiga has urgently amended the procedures following the incident. 

"I've asked the director of mental health to change the procedures immediately so people are notified in person via a phone call or an email."

Lotu-Iiga maintains checks will also be made on all mental health releases - going through about 400 records - to make sure there are no other cases where victims remain in the dark.