Privacy Statement

 

Te Kahu Hauora Practice - Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua

Effective from: 1 May 2026

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Te Kahu Hauora respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal and health information.

We handle your information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, and any other laws that apply to the health services we provide.

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Our kaupapa is to provide whānau-centered, culturally grounded healthcare. We recognise that health information, whakapapa, whānau circumstances, and personal stories are sensitive. We will treat your information with care, respect, confidentiality, and manaakitanga.

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What information we collect:

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We may collect personal and health information about you, including:

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• Your name, date of birth, gender, contact details, address, and NHI number

• Ethnicity, iwi, hapū, marae, or other identity information where relevant to your care

• Emergency contact, next-of-kin, caregiver, parent, guardian, or authorised representative details

• Health history, symptoms, diagnoses, medications, allergies, immunisations, test results, treatment plans, referrals, clinical notes, ACC information, and other health records

• Information about your wellbeing, social circumstances, housing, transport, whānau support, or other needs that may affect your health

• Appointment, enrolment, billing, funding, claims, and payment information

• Communications with us, including emails, phone calls, forms, portal messages, complaints, compliments, and feedback

• Any other information needed to provide safe, effective, and culturally appropriate care

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How we collect your information:

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Where possible, we collect information directly from you or from someone you have authorised to act for you, such as a parent, guardian, whānau member, caregiver, advocate, or authorised representative.

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We may collect information when you:

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• Enroll with us

• Attend appointments or outreach services

• Complete forms

• Speak with our doctors, nurses, reception, administration, or support staff

• Contact us by phone, email, website, social media, or patient portal

• Use services connected with your care

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We may also collect information indirectly from other people or organisations when this is necessary and lawful.

 

This may include information from:

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• Hospitals, Health New Zealand, specialist services, laboratories, radiology providers, pharmacies, and other health providers

• THINK Hauora or other primary health organisations

• ACC

• After-hours or urgent care providers

• Ka Ora Telecare or other providers involved in your care

• Social service providers, community providers, or support agencies

• Whānau, caregivers, guardians, or authorised representatives

• Referrers or agencies that help coordinate your care

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Indirect collection of health information

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From 1 May 2026, if we collect health information about you from someone other than you or your representative, and an exception does not apply, we will take reasonable steps to make sure you are aware of:

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• The fact that we have collected the information

• What kind of information we collected

• Why we collected it

• Who we may share it with

• That Te Kahu Hauora Practice collected and holds the information

• Our contact details

• Any law that requires or authorises the collection, where relevant

• Your right to request access to, and correction of, your information

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We will usually do this through our privacy statement, enrolment forms, posters, brochures, patient portal messages, phone scripts, letters, emails, or discussion with you during your next appointment.

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We may not notify you separately if you have already been made aware, if the law allows an exception, or if notification is not reasonably practicable in the circumstances.

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Where we rely on an exception, we will consider the sensitivity of the information, any possible impact on you, and our obligations under the Health Information Privacy Code.

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Why we collect and use your information

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We collect and use your information to:

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• Provide general practice, nursing, outreach, health education, chronic condition management, immunisation, and wellbeing services

• Assess your health needs and provide safe, appropriate care

• Manage appointments, recalls, screening, prescriptions, referrals, follow-up care, and test results

• Support whānau-centred care and warm handovers to other services where appropriate

• Communicate with you and your authorised representatives

• Coordinate with hospitals, specialists, laboratories, pharmacies, ACC, THINK Hauora, Health New Zealand, and other health or social service providers

• Manage enrolment, funding, claims, audits, quality improvement, reporting, and service planning

• Meet legal, professional, contractual, public health, health and safety, and clinical governance obligations

• Respond to complaints, compliments, requests, privacy concerns, or incidents

• Protect the health or safety of you, our staff, whānau, or the wider community

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Who we may share your information with

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We only share your information where this is needed for your care, authorised by you, required or permitted by law, or otherwise allowed under the Health Information Privacy Code.

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We may share relevant information with:

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• Members of the Te Kahu Hauora clinical, administration, and support team

• Other services within Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua where this supports your care and is appropriate

• Hospitals, specialists, laboratories, radiology providers, pharmacies, and other health providers

• THINK Hauora, Health New Zealand, Manatū Hauora, ACC, or other agencies involved in funding, reporting, public health, claims, or service delivery

• After-hours, urgent care, or telehealth providers involved in your care

• Your authorised whānau member, caregiver, parent, guardian, advocate, or representative

• IT, records management, booking, communication, payroll, professional, legal, audit, or other service providers who support our operations

• Agencies we are legally required or permitted to notify, including where there is a serious threat to health or safety

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We do not sell your personal or health information.

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Legal authority for collection

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Some information is collected because it is necessary to provide health services. Some information may be required or authorised by law.

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Where a particular law requires or authorises a specific collection, we will identify that law in the relevant form, notice, or communication where required.

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Relevant laws may include the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, the Health Act 1956, ACC legislation, public health legislation, and other health, safety, funding, reporting, or professional obligations that apply to general practice.

 

 

How we protect your information

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We protect your information by using reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards.

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These may include:

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• Secure clinical systems

• Password protection

• Role-based access

• Staff confidentiality obligations

• Privacy training

• Secure communication processes

• Careful management of third-party providers

 

Only people who need access to your information for their role should access it.

We expect staff, contractors, and service providers to protect your information and use it only for authorised purposes.

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How long we keep your information

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We keep your information for as long as needed for the purpose it was collected and for as long as required by law, professional standards, funding requirements, or good clinical practice.

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When information is no longer required, we will securely destroy it, de-identify it, or archive it where appropriate.

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Accessing and correcting your information

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You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you.

You also have the right to ask us to correct information if you believe it is wrong, incomplete, or misleading.

We may need to verify your identity before responding.

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If we cannot make a correction, we can attach a statement of correction to your record.

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Privacy concerns or complaints

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If you have a privacy concern, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it.

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If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

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The Privacy Commissioner’s contact page lists 0800 803 909 as the enquiries number.

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Privacy breaches

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If a privacy breach occurs and it is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected people and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner where required by law.

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We will also take steps to reduce harm and prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Changes to this statement

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We may update this privacy statement from time to time.

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The current version will be available at Te Kahu Hauora Practice and on our website.

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Contact us

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Te Kahu Hauora Privacy Officer
Te Kahu Hauora Practice
173 High Street
Dannevirke 4930

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Phone: 06 374 9227
Email: receptionTKH@kahungunutnar.co.nz
Privacy Officer: Tania Chamberlain

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