Privacy and Medical Records

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury collects information about you and your health to provide you with appropriate care, to keep you and others safe, to plan for and fund health services, to carry out teaching and research, and for statistical purposes. This information is shared with others involved in your care.

Be assured that your information is kept secure. Only authorised persons have access to your information. This may include other agencies, where authorised by law, as well as your "home" health provider if we have provided your treatment but you normally reside outside of South Canterbury.

You have the right to request copies of any information Health NZ South Canterbury holds about you and to request changes to inaccurate information.

Sometimes a patient requests information from their patient file. Patients have a right to access their own information, but we need to be careful to ensure that the person requesting the information is who they say they are. That is why we need to see a form of identification with your signature and photo.

To request information from your patient file:

  • Download and complete the Request Access to Clinical Information form
  • Attach your signed photo ID, such as a drivers licence or passport
  • Hand deliver, post or 'scan and email' the completed form and your photo ID (to the address on the form)

For more information contact the Privacy Officer at privacy@scdhb.health.nz, phone 03 687 2288, or visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website.

For other districts, GP's or public health agencies wanting to access patient information, please contact clinical records directly.

Please contact clinical records directly via medicalrequests@scdhb.health.nz

Queries or concerns about your information

If you have any queries or concerns about how your personal information has been managed, please contact us to see if we can resolve the problem. You can:

Email us at hnzprivacy@health.govt.nz; or
Write to us at Privacy Officer – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, PO Box 793, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

If you’re not satisfied with our response to your concerns, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. For more information, see the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website.