Privacy and Your Health Information
St George’s Hospital respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal and health information.
This page explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information, and outlines your rights under New Zealand privacy law.
How we collect your information
We collect information about you so we can provide safe and appropriate care.
Your information is usually collected directly from you. In some situations, we may also collect information from other people or organisations involved in your care, such as:
- Your general practitioner or specialist
- Referrers
- Laboratories and imaging providers
- Other healthcare providers
- Your insurer (where relevant)
We may collect this information before, during, or after your care where it is lawful and necessary. This includes information shared with us electronically through secure health systems such as HealthOne (see below).
How we use your information
Your health information is used to:
- Provide care, treatment, and support
- Coordinate care with other healthcare providers
- Manage hospital services and patient safety
- Meet legal, regulatory, and accreditation requirements
In some situations, information may also be used for:
- Quality improvement and clinical audit
- Education and training
- Research, where permitted by law
Where your consent is required for research or other secondary uses, we will ask you first, and you may choose to say no.
How we share your information
We may share your information with:
- Healthcare professionals and services involved in your care
- Laboratories, imaging providers, and pharmacies
- Your insurer or funding body, where required
- Health information systems that support safe care, such as HealthOne
We only share information that is relevant and necessary, and we take steps to ensure it is shared securely and lawfully.
HealthOne – shared electronic health record
St George’s Hospital contributes to and accesses HealthOne, a secure South Island electronic health record.
HealthOne allows authorised healthcare professionals directly involved in your care to view important health information such as:
- Allergies
- Medications
- Test results
- GP summaries
- Relevant hospital information
Access to HealthOne is:
- Strictly limited to authorised healthcare professionals involved in your care
- Logged and routinely audited
- Governed by the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code
You have the right to:
- Ask what information about you is available in HealthOne
- Request a report showing who has accessed your HealthOne record
- Request limits or restrictions on how your information is shared through HealthOne
To find out more or to restrict sharing through HealthOne, you can contact:
Phone: 0508 837 872
Email: privacy@healthone.health.nz
Website: https://healthone.org.nz/
Please note that restricting HealthOne information may affect how easily healthcare providers can access information needed for your care.
Keeping your information secure
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from:
- Loss
- Unauthorised access
- Misuse or disclosure
Your information is stored securely and only accessed by staff or providers who need it for your care or lawful purposes.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- Ask to see the personal and health information we hold about you
- Request corrections if your information is wrong or incomplete
- Ask questions about how your information is collected, used, or shared
- Make a privacy complaint if you are concerned about how your information has been handled
These rights are protected under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code.
Accessing our full Privacy Policy or making a privacy enquiry
If you would like more information about how we manage your privacy, or if you wish to make a privacy enquiry or complaint, please contact:
Privacy Officer
St George’s Hospital
Phone: +64 3 375 6000
Website: www.stgeorges.org.nz
You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz.
Your Clinical Record
In most instances post discharge, your surgeon will forward all relevant information to your GP, however, we are able to send information to other health care facilities and practitioners on your behalf (if you are currently under their care or receiving treatment from them).
If you require information or wish to request it on behalf of a third party, you must complete our "Release of information request" form (this is to verify authenticity of the request and to ensure your information is safeguarded by us and is released only to you or an approved third party). Please note your clinical record is retained in line with the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996.
The Clinical Records staff will supply the form either by email or post. Alternatively, you can download the form by clicking on the link below. This can then be filled out and returned via email or post to St George's Hospital.
Clinical Records Department
Phone: +64 3 375 6201
Email: clinical.records@stgeorges.org.nz