Privacy Policy

Epuni Medical Centre | www.epunimedical.nz
Last updated: 7 October 2026

At Epuni Medical Centre, your privacy and the confidentiality of your health information matter to us. We handle personal and health information in line with the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 and our professional obligations.

This policy explains what we collect through our website and services, why we collect it, how we protect it, and what your rights are. It applies alongside our wider patient privacy practices when you receive care from us.

1. About us

"Epuni Medical Centre", "we" and "us" means Epuni Medical Centre. Our services include medical and nursing care, wellness and preventative health, vaccinations, social and support services, and remote health monitoring.

2. What we collect

Contact and identity details: your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email, emergency contact, preferred contact method, and information we need to confirm who you are.

Health information: where you use our health services, we collect what we need to provide safe care. This may include your medical history, conditions, medications, allergies, immunisations, test results, clinical notes, referrals, specialist reports, treatment details, wellbeing or support needs, information from other providers, and data from remote monitoring.

Website information: when you visit our website, we may automatically collect your IP address, browser and device details, pages visited, visit times, interactions, and your approximate location (derived from your IP address). We collect this through cookies, analytics tools and similar technologies.

3. How we collect it

We collect information directly from you whenever we can, for example when you contact us, fill in a form, book an appointment, enrol with us, attend a consultation, use our website or take part in remote monitoring.

Where the law allows, we may also get information from other sources involved in your care, such as hospitals, GPs, specialists, pharmacies, laboratories, radiology providers, health-sector or government agencies, or someone you've authorised to act for you. We handle this information under the Health Information Privacy Code and the Privacy Act.

4. Why we collect it

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary, including to:

provide, coordinate and manage your healthcare and support
keep accurate health records
arrange referrals, tests and specialist services
manage vaccinations, preventative care and remote monitoring
communicate with you and manage appointments
respond to your enquiries
meet legal, regulatory, funding and professional requirements
improve the quality and safety of our services
run and secure our organisation, website and systems
respond to emergencies

5. How we protect health information

Health information is sensitive and has extra protection under the Health Information Privacy Code. We take reasonable steps to make sure it is collected for a lawful purpose, accurate and up to date, stored securely, used appropriately, disclosed only when permitted, and kept only as long as needed.

6. When we share information

We only share personal or health information when there is a lawful and appropriate reason, such as:

with health professionals, hospitals, specialists, laboratories, pharmacies and other providers involved in your care
with service providers acting for us, where safeguards are in place
when you have asked or authorised us to
when sharing is one of the purposes the information was collected for
when the law requires or allows it
when needed to protect someone's health or safety
to meet legal, regulatory, funding or professional obligations

We do not sell your personal information.

7. Website forms and urgent matters

We use information you submit through our website forms to respond to your request and arrange the right service. Please don't include unnecessary detail in a general contact form.

Forms and email are not monitored for emergencies. If you need urgent medical help, call 111 or contact an urgent care service.

8. Cookies and analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember your preferences, understand how visitors use it, improve performance, keep it secure, and measure how well our communications work. Cookies that aren't essential can usually be controlled or turned off in your browser settings.

9. Third-party services

We may use or link to services run by others, including appointment booking, patient communications, online forms, hosting, analytics, email, remote monitoring, payments, security and social media. When you use one of these directly, that organisation may handle your information under its own privacy policy. We encourage you to read it.

10. Information stored overseas

Some of our technology providers may store or process information outside New Zealand. If we send personal or health information overseas, we take reasonable steps to make sure it is appropriately protected and that the disclosure meets New Zealand privacy requirements.

11. Security

We use reasonable safeguards, such as access controls, secure systems, authentication, backups, monitoring and staff confidentiality obligations, to protect information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, alteration and destruction. No online system is completely secure, but we take steps appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold.

12. How long we keep information

We keep information only as long as needed to provide ongoing care or to meet legal, regulatory, professional, funding and record-keeping requirements. When it is no longer needed, we securely dispose of it or de-identify it.

13. Your rights

Access: you can ask what information we hold about you, request access to your health information, and ask how it has been used or disclosed. In limited circumstances, the law allows us to refuse or restrict access.

Correction: if you think information we hold is wrong, incomplete or misleading, you can ask us to correct it. If we don't agree, you can ask us to attach a statement noting your view.

We may need to verify your identity before giving access.

14. Children and young people

We take particular care with information about children and young people. We may communicate with a parent, guardian or authorised representative where appropriate, but whether we can share information with another person depends on the circumstances and the law.

15. Marketing and communications

We may contact you about your healthcare, appointments, services and other matters reasonably connected to our relationship with you. If we send promotional or general communications, we'll give you a way to opt out.

16. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have a concern, so we can try to put it right. If you're not satisfied, or prefer an independent body, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

Phone: 0800 803 909
Website: privacy.org.nz

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our services, technology, legal requirements or practices change. The latest version will always be on this page with its updated date.

18. Contact us

For privacy requests, questions or concerns:

Epuni Medical Centre
Website: www.epunimedical.nz
Email: info@epunimedical.nz
Phone: 04- 555 8324
Address: 102 Oxford Terrace, Epuni, Lower Hutt 5011