Privacy Commissioner - Te Mana Matapono Matatapu

Health Information Privacy Code

This code sets specific rules for agencies in the health sector to better ensure the protection of individual privacy. The code addresses the health information collected, used, held and disclosed by health agencies. For the health sector the code takes the place of the information privacy principles.

The Privacy Commissioner issued an amendment to the Health Information Privacy Code (amendment no. 6), which came into force on 1 November 2007. 

Revised Edition 2008

A revised edition 2008 of the Health Information Privacy Code 1994, incorporating amendments and including revised commentary will be available soon.

If you work in the health sector, you need to know that there is a revised edition of the Health Information Privacy Code 1994 (HIPC). This edition includes updated commentary aimed at helping you understand the code.

The HIPC applies to the health information relating to identifiable individuals and applies to the following agencies:

• all agencies providing personal or public health or disability services such as primary health organisations, district health boards, rest homes, supported accommodation, doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists; and
• some agencies that do not provide health services to individuals but which are part of the health sector such as ACC, the Ministry of Health, the Health Research Council, health insurers and professional disciplinary bodies.

Orders
To order a copy of the revised HIPC for delivery after Christmas 2008, you can:

• phone Auckland 09 302 8655
• phone outside Auckland 0800 803 909
• email enquiries@privacy.org.nz

The pre-release discount price is $20 per copy (plus $2 postage and packaging).
From 15 January 2009, the price is $25 per copy, or $20 per copy for orders of 10 or more (plus p&p).