Confidentiality Of Information

All health information obtained by doctors and staff of the health centre in the course of caring for you is confidential and will not be disclosed to others without your consent. There are a few exceptions to this rule, usually in the matters of individual or public safety, but your doctor will always discuss any such situation with you prior to any action being taken.

The Health Information Privacy Code (1994), issued under the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993, lays down that the rights of confidentiality apply to all patients and so we are, therefore, unable to disclose any information to other family members without the authority of the patient, unless the patient is incapable of giving that authority.

The code gives no guidance regarding the age at which a child is capable of giving consent, so a decision has to be made for each individual patient. As a rough guide we would expect that most children who have started secondary school will be capable of giving consent, and that information regarding such children would not be released without their permission. Parents may like to discuss this with their children and use such a discussion as a way of emphasizing that everybody has some responsibility for their own health. This issue would normally be discussed with the patient at the time of consultation and the wishes of the young adult noted in their medical notes. If you have any concerns regarding our policy you should speak to your doctor further about this.

Health Information

Under the provisions of the Health Information Privacy Code 1994, you have a right of access to health information about you collected and held by the health centre, and a right to request correction of that information. Any such request made under the provisions of the code should be made in writing to:

The Privacy Officer, Mornington Health Centre, P.O. Box 7046, DUNEDIN

This does not prevent you from informally asking your own doctor about the health information in your file. Any complaints under the provisions of the code should also be made to the Privacy Officer