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Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

Auckland Gynaecology Specialists (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information in our practice.

We are bound by the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand) and its Information Privacy Principles (IPPs), including the new IPP 3A which came into force on 1 May 2026.

2. What Information We Collect

Personal and Health Information

We may collect the following types of information:

  • Name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email address
  • NHI (National Health Index) number
  • Medical and gynaecological history, examination findings, and clinical notes
  • Diagnostic results including laboratory, imaging, pathology, and colposcopy findings
  • Medication and allergy history
  • Surgical and procedure records
  • Referral letters and correspondence with other health providers
  • Health insurance and billing information
  • Information relevant to your care from your support person or next of kin (with your consent)

3. How We Collect Your Information

Information collected directly from you

Most of the personal information we hold is collected directly from you during consultations, via our patient registration form, by telephone, or through our website or patient portal. We notify you of this collection at the time it occurs, in accordance with Information Privacy Principle 3 (IPP 3).

Information collected indirectly — IPP 3A (new from 1 May 2026)

New Legal Requirement — Information Privacy Principle 3A

From 1 May 2026, the Privacy Act 2020 was amended to include IPP 3A. This new principle requires us to notify you when we collect personal information about you from a source other than you directly. The information in this section explains how we comply with this obligation.

We may collect information about you indirectly from the following sources:

  • Your GP or other referring health professional (e.g. referral letters, clinical summaries)
  • Other specialists or hospital services involved in your care
  • ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation), where relevant to your treatment
  • Laboratories and radiology providers who send us your test results
  • Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (e.g. discharge summaries, shared care records)
  • Your health insurer, where pre-authorisation or clinical information is exchanged
  • Family members or support persons, where you have consented or where you are unable to provide information yourself

When we collect information about you indirectly, we will notify you as soon as practicable. This notice may be provided in person at your first consultation, by letter, or by email.

We will tell you: who provided the information, what type of information was collected, and the purpose for which it was collected. If notifying you would be impractical or would prejudice the purpose of collection (for example, in an emergency clinical situation), we will notify you as soon as this is no longer the case.

4. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Providing gynaecological care, diagnosis, and treatment
  • Scheduling appointments and managing your care
  • Communicating with your GP, specialists, and other members of your care team
  • Processing referrals, laboratory requests, and imaging
  • Billing and processing health insurance claims
  • Meeting our legal and professional obligations as a registered medical practice
  • Quality improvement, audit, and clinical governance activities
  • Training registrars and medical students (only with your explicit consent)

5. Storage and Security

Your clinical records are stored in our practice management system, which is protected by secure authentication, encryption, and regular backups. Access is restricted to clinical and administrative staff who require it to carry out their duties.

We use Heidi, an AI medical scribe tool, to assist with clinical documentation. Heidi operates as a real-time transcription service during consultations and does not independently access your records. You will be informed before any consultation is transcribed, and you may decline.

We take reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, and disclosure. No internet-based system is completely secure; if you have concerns, please contact us directly.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with:

  • Your GP and other treating health professionals involved in your care
  • Laboratories, radiology services, pathology providers, and hospitals
  • ACC, where your treatment relates to a covered injury or condition
  • Your health insurer, for claims processing and pre-authorisation
  • Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, where required by law or for public health functions
  • The Medical Council of New Zealand or other regulatory bodies, if legally required

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not share your information for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

7. Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of information that is inaccurate or misleading
  • Know why we are collecting your information and how it will be used
  • Be notified if we collect information about you from a third party (IPP 3A)
  • Make a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been breached

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within 20 working days as required by law.

8. Cookies and Website

Our website (drsam.co.nz) may use cookies or similar technologies to improve your experience. These do not collect identifiable health information. You may configure your browser to decline cookies; this will not affect your ability to receive care from us.

9. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner Website: www.privacy.org.nz Phone: 0800 803 909 Email: [email protected]

10. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, to access or correct your information, or to obtain a copy of this policy, contact us.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our practice, or how we handle information. The current version will always be available on our website and in our practice. Material changes will be communicated to patients.

Version history: Version 1.0 (initial policy) | Version 2.0 — Updated 1 May 2026 to incorporate IPP 3A (indirect collection notification).