Privacy Policy
Sports Orthopaedic Surgery Centre Last updated: 31 July 2026
Sports Orthopaedic Surgery Centre ("the Practice", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information - including health information - in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (HIPC), which sets specific rules for health agencies in New Zealand.
This policy applies to patients, website visitors, and anyone who contacts us.
1. What information we collect
Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect:
Personal information
Full name, date of birth, gender, and contact details (address, phone, email)
National Health Index (NHI) number
Next of kin / emergency contact details
Health insurance and ACC claim details
Billing and payment information
Health information
Medical and surgical history
Referral letters from your GP or other specialists
Clinical notes, consultation records, and treatment plans
Diagnostic imaging (e.g. X-rays, MRIs) and laboratory results
Details relating to injuries, surgery, rehabilitation, and follow-up care
Website information
Details you submit through our online contact/enquiry form (e.g. name, email, phone number, message content)
[If analytics/cookies are used] Technical information such as IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited, collected via cookies or analytics tools such as Google Analytics
2. How we collect information
We usually collect information directly from you — in person, by phone, or through our website. We may also collect information from:
Your referring GP, specialist, or other treating practitioner
Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), where your treatment relates to an ACC claim
Hospitals, radiology providers, laboratories, and physiotherapists involved in your care
Your health insurer, if you are claiming privately
Family members or caregivers, where appropriate (e.g. next of kin details)
3. Why we collect it
We collect and hold personal and health information to:
Assess, diagnose, and treat your orthopaedic condition, including surgery and rehabilitation
Book and manage appointments and surgical procedures
Process ACC claims and insurance billing
Coordinate your care with your GP, referring specialists, hospitals, and other providers
Meet our legal, clinical, and professional obligations (e.g. medical record-keeping requirements)
Respond to enquiries made through our website or by phone/email
Manage practice administration, accounts, and quality improvement
We do not use your information for marketing purposes without your consent.
4. Who we may share your information with
We only share information where it is necessary for your care, required by law, or authorised by you. This may include:
Clinical and administrative staff within the Practice
Your referring GP and other treating specialists, to coordinate your ongoing care
ACC, where your treatment relates to an ACC claim
Hospitals or surgical facilities where your procedure takes place
Diagnostic imaging and laboratory providers
Your health insurer, where you are claiming privately
Professional advisers (e.g. accountants, IT providers) bound by confidentiality obligations
Where required or authorised by law (e.g. a court order, or reporting obligations under health and safety legislation)
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Storage outside New Zealand
Some of the software and cloud-based systems we use to manage patient records and practice administration may store or process information on servers located outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected to a standard comparable to the Privacy Act 2020, in line with Information Privacy Principle 12.
[Confirm with your practice management software / IT provider whether data is hosted in NZ or overseas (e.g. Australia, US) and adjust this clause accordingly — remove it if all storage is confirmed to be NZ-based.]
5. Website enquiry form
If you contact us through our website's enquiry form, we collect the information you provide (such as your name, email, and message) solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not add you to any marketing list unless you separately opt in.
6. Cookies and analytics
[Include this section if you decide to use analytics/tracking — remove or amend if not applicable.]
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our site and to improve its performance. These tools may collect information such as your IP address, browser type, and browsing behaviour on our site. This information is generally anonymised or aggregated and is not used to identify you personally. You can disable cookies through your browser settings; this may affect some website functionality.
7. How long we keep your information
Health information is retained in accordance with the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996, which generally require health records to be kept for a minimum of 10 years from the date of your last consultation or treatment (or, for patients under 17 at the time of treatment, until they turn 25). Other personal information is retained only as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected, or as required by law.
8. Keeping your information secure
We take reasonable steps to protect personal and health information from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure. This includes physical security measures, access controls, and secure electronic systems for storing clinical and administrative records.
9. Your rights: access and correction
Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:
Ask us to confirm what personal and health information we hold about you
Request access to that information
Request correction of information you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
To make a request, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. We will respond within the timeframes required by law. In some circumstances, a reasonable fee may apply for providing copies of records, and access may be withheld in limited circumstances permitted under the Act.
10. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal or health information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it directly.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact:
Office of the Privacy Commissioner Phone: 0800 803 909 Website: www.privacy.org.nz
For complaints about the quality of care or services you received, you can also contact:
Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) Freephone: 0800 11 22 33 Email: hdc@hdc.org.nz Website: www.hdc.org.nz
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The current version will always be available on our website.
12. Contact us
If you have any questions about this policy or wish to make a request regarding your personal information, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Sports Orthopaedic Surgery Centre
162 Powderham Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Phone: 06 757 5554
Email: contact@sportsortho.co.nz
Website: sporthortho.co.nz