PRIVACY STATEMENT
We are committed to providing quality healthcare for our patients. As a fundamental part of this commitment, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our patients are fully informed and involved in their healthcare.
As a healthcare provider in the private sector, we are bound by the HEALTH INFORMATION PRIVACY CODE 2020.
This code sets the standards by which we handle personal information collected from our patients. Further information is available online from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner
By accepting health care services from us, you agree we can collect information about you from other agencies for the purpose of maintaining an up-to-date health record and providing safe and quality primary health care. This may include:
From other health providers and shared health records:
Receipt of laboratory, radiology or other results
Accessing authorised national or regional health information systems to support your care by checking your medical history, laboratory or radiology results and current prescribing
Receipt of correspondence from hospitals, emergency departments, after-hours providers, specialist services, allied health providers or other secondary and community care providers – including discharge summaries, outpatient or specialist letters
Proactively contacting a hospital or specialist service to follow up on a referral or seek advice or an update on your care, where that contact results in information about you being shared with us
Receipt of letters from screening programs (such as bowel, breast or cervical screening), including results, or notifications regarding attendance or non-attendance
From non-health agencies and organisations
Contact from or correspondence with Police, legal representatives, Oranga Tamariki, insurance companies, Ministry of Social Development (Work and Income New Zealand) and the Accident Compensation Corporation
Receipt of correspondence from employers, regarding, for example, fitness to work
Information from the New Zealand Police regarding firearms licences
Complaints
If concerns are raised about the care or services we provide, we may disclose relevant health information to our regulators, insurers, indemnity providers, or legal advisers for the purpose of managing and responding to the concerns.
As part of our commitment to providing quality health care it is necessary for us to maintain records pertaining to your medical treatment, the provision of advice to you and also to perform administrative functions including record keeping, confirming eligibility for funding/insurance, invoicing and processing of claims/payments. If you do not provide us with the information requested we may not be able to provide you with medical treatment and advice.
Our records may contain, but are not limited to, the following types of information:
- Your personal details (e.g. your name, address, date of birth, NHI number etc.) Names and contact information of people who are your emergency contacts.
- Your medical history, including clinical and administrative notes made during the course of consultations or treatment. Digital images taken during your consultation or treatment
- Referrals to other health service providers
- Test results and reports received from or sent to other health service providers involved with your care. Payor related details and financial transactions.
Your records are handled with the utmost respect for your privacy. They will be used by your specialist as part of providing your care. Administration and clinical staff will also handle your medical records as part of their day-to-day responsibilities. All staff are bound by confidentiality requirements as a condition of their employment and these requirements will be adhered to if it is necessary for them to review your records.
Correspondence with yourself and other parties involved with your care, may involve the use of digital communication methods instead of printed material. Where possible any digital correspondence will be strongly encrypted so that the content cannot be understood if intercepted.
At times, for business-related purposes, it may also be necessary to allow external organisations to access our facility and possibly to have restricted access to your records. Any external organisation that provides services or advice to us will be aware of the need to preserve the requirement of the Privacy Act and will be bound by a confidentiality agreement.
Ordinarily we will not release the contents of your medical file without your consent. However, we advise that there may be occasions where we will be required to release the details of your file irrespective of whether your consent to the disclosure of the information is given. This will occur where the law requires disclosure, such as pursuant or subpoena.
We advise, that as a patient, you have the right of access to any information we hold concerning you and also to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. Should you wish to access this information please discuss this with your specialist
