If you wish to obtain information held against your NHI number, you should make a request in writing to the following:

Postal address Privacy Request
National Contact Centre
Ministry of Health
PO Box 3015
Whanganui 4501
Email

information@health.govt.nz

You will need to provide the following information before we can begin the process of collating your health information:

  • Full name (and any aliases known by)
  • Date of birth
  • Street address
  • Postal address (if different)
  • Past addresses (as many as you are able to provide)
  • Contact phone number (for validation purposes)

Once the above information has been provided, a request is placed to extract demographic information from the NHI and all event information associated with your NHI number in the national data collections.

The National Collections event information can include any of the following:

  • National Health Index (NHI)
  • Mortality Database (MORT)
  • Medical Warning System (MWS)
  • New Zealand Cancer Registry (NZCR)
  • Pharmaceuticals Database (PHARMS)
  • National Minimum Dataset (hospitalisations, inpatient events)
  • National Booking Reporting System (NBRS) (surgery waitlist)
  • Mental Health Information National Collection (MHINC)
  • Programme for the Integration of Mental Health Data (PRIMHD)
  • Laboratories Data (LABS – community laboratories only)
  • Primary Health Organisation (PHO)
  • National Immunisation Register (NIR)
  • Hepatitis B Screening Programme
  • National Maternity Collection Mother (MAT)
  • National Non-admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC) (outpatient and emergency department)

Please note - you may not have event information recorded against each of these listed datasets, and the process to extract your information can take up to 20 working days.

Before information is released, a quality-assurance process is followed to authenticate the person requesting the information. This is done by asking a number of questions against data held in the NHI. Once these questions have been answered successfully, your information will be posted to the address specified by you.

Also note - The Ministry of Health does not hold clinical health information or notes recorded by general practitioners, or information relating to ACC. You will need to contact your medical centre or ACC directly for this information.