Privacy Statement

Intus Specialist Health Care is a private healthcare facility operating across the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, with facilities in Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Wānaka. As a healthcare provider, Intus is committed to safeguarding the privacy of patient information. This privacy statement explains the type of information we collect from our patients and sets out how we use and protect your personal information.  It also explains your rights regarding your personal information.

Intus has an obligation to collect personal information about you directly from you unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so. If we have collected personal information about you, we must take steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that you are aware that we have collected your information and what we intend to do with it.

This privacy statement complies with our legal obligations under the Privacy Act 2020, the Information Privacy Principles under that Act, and where health information is involved, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. You can read more about these laws on the website of the NZ Privacy Commission. 

WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION DOES INTUS COLLECT?

As a patient of Intus Specialist Health Care, we may collect certain personal and medical information and a medical history from you. For instance, when it is reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect this information from you directly (by telephone, email or online via our website). Information may be collected through our online enquiry forms, registration forms, questionnaires and our Intus admission processes. This information enables Intus to provide you with the medical treatment and advice required. Test results and further information may be collected by us prior to your appointment while you are being treated as a patient at Intus. This information enables Intus to provide you with the medical treatment and advice required.

Intus will often collect personal information that is regarded as health information. Health information may only be collected where it is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, one of our business functions or activities. Where required by law or regulation, Intus will handle this type of personal information differently to other types of personal information due to its special nature. 

What type of information does Intus collect from third parties?

Intus may also collect personal information about you from third parties for the purpose of providing you with medical treatment and advice. This includes personal information from:

• medical practitioners and/or other healthcare service providers or external agencies (including laboratories);

• your treatment funder (or an advisor or agent associated with your treatment funding); and

• any other third party authorised by you such as a relative, a person with your power of attorney or other health services provider if it is unreasonable or impracticable to collect it from you.

When we collect personal information about you from a third party (such as another health services provider) you will have already given that third party your consent to share personal information with us for the purposes of carrying out your treatment, or we may contact you directly to obtain your consent to access this information.

If you do not provide the personal information we request or do not consent to our collecting that personal information from third parties, then depending upon the type of personal information concerned, we may not be able to provide you with appropriate treatment or care.

YOUR CONSENT TO COLLECTION AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

As a patient you should note that by commencing or continuing your relationship with us, you are taken to have authorised the collection and disclosure of personal information, including health information, by us from and to third parties as detailed in this Privacy Statement. You do not have to provide us with your personal information, however, depending on the circumstances, this may prevent us from being able to provide our services to you.

WHY DOES INTUS COLLECT AND USE PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Intus collects personal information for the following purposes:

• to confirm your identity;

• to provide you, as our patient, with the clinical treatment that you have requested;

• paying accounts, invoices or generating bills;

• to investigate and resolve complaints concerning the provision of services;

• to comply with legislative and regulatory requirements and provisions; and

• to perform administrative functions including accounting, risk management and record keeping.

We will only use and disclose your personal information for purposes directly related to your treatment and in ways you would reasonably expect for your ongoing care, or in accordance with this Privacy Statement. This may include, but is not limited to, the transfer of relevant personal information to your nominated GP, to another treating health service or hospital, to a specialist for a referral, for pathology tests and imaging.

To facilitate continuation of your care following, it is our practice to disclose personal information to your nominated general practitioner. If you do not want your personal information disclosed to your nominated general practitioner, please let us know.

The main purpose of collecting personal information about you is to provide ongoing clinical treatment and advice.

 We are required to disclose some information to government agencies to comply with laws regarding the reporting of notifiable diseases and statistics. Your personal information may be required as evidence in court when subpoenaed.

Accordingly, Intus will only use or disclose your personal information:

• for the purpose for which it was collected (or a purpose that is directly related to the purpose in connection with which the information was obtained);

• for any other purpose for which you have authorised; and

• otherwise, where we are permitted or required to do so by law.

HOW DOES INTUS STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Your personal information will be collected and held by:

Intus Specialist Health Care

PO Box 36692

Christchurch 8146

We store personal information in a variety of ways, including paper and electronic formats. The security of information is important to us. Our staff are responsible for maintaining the security of patient information from unauthorised access, misuse, loss and/or damage.

While we maintain the highest security measures, Wwheren you transfer personal information is transferred by you to us over the internet, we cannot guarantee that a the transmission of information is always secure, and while we maintain the highest security measures, we cannot ensure information sent by you is secure and therefore it is transmitted by you at your own risk.

Access to personal information systems is controlled by us through our patient management system. All Intus employees are required to complete training about information security and we regularly monitor and review our compliance with internal policies and industry best practice.

By law we are required to hold all health information for a period of 10 years. Personal information may be stored in either hardcopy documents or as electronic data. We store all electronic data in secure data facilities located in Aotearoa New Zealand; these facilities are owned by Intus.

CAN YOU ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

You may request access to and/or correction of any of the personal information Intus holds about you, including your medical records. To enable us to process your request, we ask that you contact us in writing or by email (info@intus.co.nz) and state:

• your name;

• your date of birth; and

• the kind or type of personal information that you are requesting access to.

Details of what kind of information we hold and for what purpose can be obtained by emailing us. You can also request information as to how we collect, use, store, and disclose your information.

We will acknowledge a request for access and respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 20 working days from the date the request is received, unless we have extended the time limit for responding to your request in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

If you establish that the personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, we will take reasonable steps to correct the information on being provided sufficient evidence to correct or change the information. Please assist us to keep accurate details by informing us whenever your personal details change or whenever you become aware that our records are inaccurate.

There are certain circumstances permitted under the Privacy Act where we might not be able to fulfil your request. If that happens, we will provide reasons in writing for the denial or limitation on access and the options available to you to dispute the refusal, and we will inform you of any exceptions relied on under the Act. If we don't allow you to access or correct your personal information, and you disagree with our decision, please contact us using the contact details set out at the end of this Privacy Statement.

PRIVACY COMPLAINTS

You should first direct any complaint of an alleged breach of the Privacy Act to our Privacy Officer.  The complaint can be emailed to our Privacy Officer at info@intus.co.nz.

Alternatively, any complaint may be sent by post to this address:

Privacy Officer

Intus Specialist Health Care

PO Box 36692

Christchurch 8146

We will investigate your complaint and respond to you as quickly as possible (usually within 30 days of hearing from you). If your complaint takes longer to resolve, we’ll let you know how the investigation is progressing.

If you are not satisfied with how we have dealt with the complaint, you may contact the Privacy Commissioner at:

Privacy Commissioner
Level 13, WHK Tower
51-53 Shortland Street
Auckland 1140
New Zealand

Telephone: 0800 803 909

Email enquiries@privacy.org.nz

CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY STATEMENT

This Privacy Statement was last updated in March 2023 and is subject to ongoing review.