Privacy statement for BreastScreen Aotearoa service providers

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) operates BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) and the National Breast Screening System (NBSS) with your support. In operating BSA, we take privacy matters, and the protection of personal information, seriously. This includes your privacy, and need to protect your personal information where it is collected, stored, used, and disclosed as a result of your participation in BSA and use of NBSS.

We may update this privacy statement from time to time. Please check this privacy statement regularly for modifications and updates. This privacy statement was last updated on 15 July 2024.

This privacy statement outlines how we collect, store, use and disclose the personal information of healthcare providers who participate in BSA and use NBSS. BSA operates in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, and all other relevant legislation in place to protect privacy and wellbeing.

Some information may be collected from you when you register to use BSA and NBSS information technology (IT) platforms, systems, applications, and tools, such as the Radiology Information System (RIS). This is to identify you and to manage your access as an IT user.  

Some of the information BSA holds about you is collected from Health New Zealand and NBSS platforms, systems, applications and tools where it is already stored. This includes the Health Provider Index (HPI) register. Your information may also be attached to the record of an individual you supported in BSA and along their screening pathway.  

Information is collected from, and generated by, you as a result of you supporting individuals along their screening pathway. It will become part of the record of that individual.  

If you do not enable NBSS to collect, store and use information about you, you may not be able to support the operation of BSA.

NBSS securely holds information such as first/last name, phone/mobile phone, email, and log on details to identify when you log into NBSS. Your access and use of NBSS is recorded and may be audited. 

The information collected from and generated by you because of you supporting individuals along their screening pathway is held in the RIS and NBSS. It will become part of the record of that individual and help us ensure that we maintain high quality records of the administrative or health care support provided to an individual.  

Some information and records may be shared with the individual or other health service providers who support the operation of BSA and individuals on their screening pathway. Breast screening Lead Providers and Screening Support Service providers (SSS) may access and use information to book and manage appointments; and deliver breast screening service including any follow-up treatments. Mammogram reading, assessment procedure and treatment information will be restricted to clinical providers. 

NBSS enables de-identified information to be used by Lead Providers to manage their delivery of screening services. It may also be used for planning, improving, and funding health services. 

NBSS also enables anonymised information to be used for statistical or research purposes. You cannot be identified when your information is used in this way.

BSA is operated by Health New Zealand with regional Lead Providers and SSS providers. The main RIS supporting NBSS is securely hosted on Azure Web Services located in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

BSA keeps all records as: 

• required by the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996
• enabled by the Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code 2020.

An individual’s screening history is required at least until they are no longer eligible for publicly funded screening services. It may be retained after this period as part of their clinical record to support the provision of high quality and safe health services.

The Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 give you the right to ask:  

• if BSA or Health New Zealand hold any personal information about you
• for access to your personal information including health information and medical records
• that BSA or Health New Zealand correct your personal information.

Visit the Health New Zealand personal information request page.  

On the personal information request page, you will be asked to complete a request form. It is designed to help us identify:  

• records you would like it to search 
• types of information you are looking for 
• relevant places, such as hospitals, you think might hold your information 
• dates on which a record containing information may have been created. 

Please note that to protect privacy, requests must be accompanied by proof of:  

• identification  
• address 

You can email HNZprivacy@tewhatuora.govt.nz for more information or assistance.  

If you have any queries or concerns about how your personal information has been collected, stored, used, or disclosed, please contact BSA to see if we can resolve the problem.  

You can call the BSA team on 0800 270 200 or email screening@health.govt.nz.

Please note that when you call us, to protect your privacy, we will ask you to prove your identity. If we cannot address your concern, you can then contact the National Privacy team via: 

• email: hnzprivacy@health.govt.nz
• letter: Privacy Officer - Te Whatu Ora, PO Box 793, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

If you’re not satisfied with our response to any concerns, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. For more information see the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website.