Bodyworks Physiotherapy & Wellness
Consent
Before we provide health services, we will seek your informed consent to treatment in accordance with the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. As part of providing treatment, we need to collect, use, and sometimes share health information that is necessary and relevant to your care.
- Treatment consent will usually be obtained in writing.
- Consent will be informed; meaning we will explain what treatment is proposed, what information is required, how it will be used, and why
- Health information will only be collected, used, or disclosed for appropriate purposes, including supporting the provision of health services where the information is necessary and relevant to the condition being treated.
- In some circumstances, health information may be collected, used, or disclosed without consent where this is permitted or required by law.
Types of Personal Information
We collect personal and health information from you, where necessary and relevant to provide health services. This may include:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Contact information
- Emergency or family contacts
- Address
- Interactions with us
- Verbal consent record
- Billing or purchase information
- Health history and clinical information relevant to your care (health information is collected as part of providing treatment and with your informed consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.)
- NHI
- We may record your National Health Index (NHI) number where available
- Your NHI number is used only to confirm your identity and records with other health service providers, such as your GP or ACC.
- We do not use your NHI number for any other purpose.
- We do not rely on your NHI number as the sole identifier within our own records.
Why We Collect Information
When we collect personal or health information from you, we will explain why it is needed, who may receive it, whether providing it is voluntary or required, and the consequences of not providing information that is necessary for your care. We collect your personal information in order to:
Provide you with appropriate health services
Comply with New Zealand Law
Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996
Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003
Health (Retention of Health Information) Regula- tions 1996
Allied Health Sector Standards NZS 8171;2005
Standards New Zealand Health Records NZS 8153:2002
Privacy Act 2020
The Health Information Privacy Code 2020
Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensa- tion Amendment Act (No 2) 2005
- Liaise with other health professionals and organisations
- Ensure that we are treating the right person for the right condition
- Protect your rights as a health service consumer
- Protect our rights as health service providers
- Use limited contact information to provide you with information about our services, updates, or promotions
- Use this information for service cost recovery
Where necessary, we may collect relevant information from third parties, such as other health providers, insurers, or ACC. We will usually do so with your consent, unless collection is permitted or required by law.
Retention of Health Information
We retain your health information for at least 10 years from the day after your last treatment, as required under the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996.
Marketing & Promotional Communications
We may use your contact information (such as your name, email address, or phone number) to send you information about our services, updates, or promotions.
• Your health information will not be used for marketing purposes.
• You can withdraw your consent to receive marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe option provided.
Sharing Your Information
Besides our staff, we share this information with:
- Other health service providers, insurers, and support providers, where necessary to provide you with appropriate health care services, ensure continuity of care, or comply with New Zealand law
- Other health service providers or organisations who have referred you to us, or to whom we have referred you, where relevant to your care.
- Insurers, ACC, or other funders, where required for claims, reporting, or payment purposes
- Third‑party service providers, such as debt collection agencies, where necessary to recover unpaid service fees and other costs, and only to the extent required for that purpose
We will usually only disclose your health information with your consent, which will be obtained in writing where possible. However, in some circumstances, we may disclose information without consent where this is permitted or required by law, including under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
- Overseas disclosure – Some information may be stored or processed by service providers located outside New Zealand. Where health information is disclosed overseas, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that comparable privacy safeguards apply, or we will obtain your authorisation where required by law.
- Where practicable, you may request to review health information (such as medical reports) before it is disclosed. Information will not be altered or edited except to correct factual errors where appropriate.
Your Choice in Providing Information
Providing some information is optional. However, some information is necessary for us to provide safe and appropriate health services. If you choose not to allow us to collect or access relevant health information necessary for your care, we may be unable to provide appropriate health services. You should be aware that you may have previously given another agency consent to share your health information with us. Where necessary, we may request relevant health records or information from third parties involved in your care, such as other health providers, insurers, or ACC.
This information may include:
- X‑rays or other radiological investigations and reports
- Treatment reports from other health service providers
- Condition or injury reports from insurers or other funders
Without access to relevant information, we may be unable to provide appropriate or safe health services.
Privacy Breaches
If a privacy breach occurs that has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as soon as practicable, and aim to make that notification within 72 hours, in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.
Viewing or Correcting Information
You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you and to request that it be corrected if you believe it is inaccurate. We will consider all requests for correction. We will respond to requests for access to, or correction of, your information within 20 working days, as required under the Privacy Act 2020. If we do not agree that a correction is appropriate, you may request that a statement of correction sought be attached to your record.
To request access to or correction of your information, please contact us at:
Email: bodyworks@bwk.co.nz
Phone: 09 407 4288
Address: 2/7 Homestead Road, Kerikeri 0230
We have appointed a Privacy Officer, who is responsible for overseeing our compliance with privacy laws and can be contacted using the details above.
Your Information is Secure
The personal and health information we collect from you, and any information generated by us during the course of providing services, is stored in our practice management system, Gensolve. We take reasonable steps to protect your information from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure. This includes the use of secure systems, access controls, password protection, and regular data backups. Gensolve uses industry‑standard security measures, including encryption and secure cloud‑based storage. Some information may be stored on servers located outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that comparable privacy safeguards apply, in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
The Lifetime of Your Data (Health Records)
- We retain personal and health information only for as long as it is required for lawful purposes.
- Under the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996, we are required to keep health records for at least 10 years from the date of the last service provided to you.
- Once this retention period has ended, paper records are securely destroyed under controlled conditions by an approved document destruction provider.
- Electronic records are securely deleted or destroyed using industry‑accepted methods to ensure the information cannot be accessed or recovered.