Health & Counselling Centre - Albany

Privacy and Confidentiality

Health & Counselling Centre Statement on Privacy and Confidentiality

The Health & Counselling Centre takes privacy and confidentiality very seriously and adheres to the Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC).

All Health & Counselling Centre staff sign a confidentiality agreement. Only staff of the Health & Counselling Centre have access to clinical information. Your information is not available to academic staff or other Massey University staff. The only exception is information contained in medical certificates or aegrotats provided to other Massey University staff with your consent.

Computer Medical Notes

These can be accessed by all the clinical care providers (ie, doctors, nurses, counsellors). However:

• No member of the clinical staff is permitted to browse without clinical reason
• Counselling staff do not look at medical notes without your consent, and then only to ascertain a referring doctor's notes pertinent to your counselling needs.

Clinical information is kept on our database using the MedTech software.  Hard copy notes are kept on our premises in a locked storeroom which is only accessible to Health & Counselling Staff.  After a couple of years these notes are transferred to a secure off-site storage facility.  We are required to keep this material for 10 years.

Reception staff only access data about your appointments and account status and whether or not you have a community services card, plus the demographic information transmitted to us at enrolment. They do not browse clinical information.

Counselling Notes

Counselling staff do not currently record their notes within the MedTech system. Their notes are kept on hard file in locked filing cabinets.

When a student leaves the University his or her counselling notes are transferred to a secure off-site storage facility where our medical files are also kept. Only Health & Counselling staff have access to these records.

Disposal and Storage of Notes

Redundant Health Information, eg, copies of letters or results which have been filed electronically, are shredded on the premises.

Transfer of Notes

When you leave the University we are happy to transfer your medical file to your next GP. We do not normally include your counselling files unless specifically requested. We do not transfer any notes to other parties without your consent.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality and information access, please discuss this with your health professional or the Manager of the Health & Counselling Centre.

Page authorised by Campus Operations
Last updated on Tuesday 16 August 2016