Information collection

Personal information

• your name, address, gender, ethnicity, date of birth, family relationships, and health information* (such as National Health Index number or NHI, birth issues, allergies, feeding issues, vaccinations, weight)
• your image (for example, through CCTV when you visit a Plunket clinic)
• If you are a Plunket staff member or volunteer we may also collect financial details, such as banking, credit cards and tax information, emergency contacts and employment history, qualifications, licences.

* Health information is information about an identifiable individual that is about the health of that individual, including their medical history; and any health services provided, and any information about collected during or incidental to, the provision of Plunket health services.

We may collect information about you from third parties

Examples include:

• referrals from lead maternity carers, District Health Boards, and other health professionals
• agencies involved with Integrated Safety Response regarding violence.

When we do collect information about you from others as and when required by law, we will tell you about what information we collected, the reason for its collection and how it will be protected.

• provide you and your whānau with child health services
• provide health education and information to you, your tamariki, and whānau
• provide you with information about Whānau Āwhina Plunket and our support groups, services and activities which may be of interest to you and your child
• monitor and improve the quality of our services to you, your tamariki, and whānau
• maintain a volunteer or workforce relationship with you
• maintain a financial donation relationship with you
• carry out research approved by an ethics committee.

We fully respect the importance of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. Plunket does not share your health record. Your Plunket health team are the only people who will access your health record. They will ensure this information is accurate and up to date at all times.

We may share information to protect your wellbeing or the wellbeing of others, for example in the situation of family violence.

Limited information such as name, ethnicity, and number, type and outcome of Plunket contacts may be shared with Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) who use it for funding health services and monitoring our service quality (Well Child / Tamariki Ora Quality Improvement Framework Data).

In consultation with you, communicate with appropriate health providers, to ensure that your child receives all the health services that you are entitled to. Health providers such as: Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ), Well Child providers, immunisation providers, dental health providers. If you and your child need anything beyond Plunket services, your nurse may offer to refer you and your child to another service. If that happens you will be asked for permission to contact that other provider with your child's information at the time.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket only retains your personal information for as long as it is required for the purpose we collected.

Plunket is required by the Heath Act 1956 to keep the health information we collect for 10 years after we last see you. We therefore might keep some health information up to 15 years. (5 years old +10 years retention).

Employee personnel records are kept for 7 years after end of the Financial year that employment ceases.

Unsuccessful Employment applications are kept for 12 months.

Donor and donation records are retained indefinitely.

All private information is appropriately and securely disposed of.

All Plunket clients have the right to ask to see, correct or provide additional feedback on any information Plunket holds about them and their tamariki. All the client needs to do is ask and Plunket will provide assistance.

Clients can request their personal information by filling out the Plunket request for information form or by emailing privacyinformationrequests@plunket.org.nz. Alternatively, they can ask their local Plunket representative or nurse.

Privacy questions and complaints can be made to the privacy officer at privacy@plunket.org.nz or can be made to the Privacy commissioner at Privacy.govt.nz.