Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 29th July 2025.

Your privacy is important to us. This policy outlines how The Good Podiatrist collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal and health information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

1. What Information We Collect

We collect personal and health information necessary to provide you with safe, effective, and tailored podiatric care. This may include:

• Contact Details: Name, address, phone number, email address.
• Demographic Information: Date of birth, gender, occupation.
• Health Information: Your medical history (including past injuries, surgeries, conditions), medications, allergies, family medical history relevant to your care, and details of your podiatric assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, and progress notes.
• ACC Information: If your treatment is related to an ACC claim, we collect and share information required for ACC purposes.
• Financial Information: Payment details for services rendered.
• Visual Records: Photos or videos taken only with your explicit consent, which will be recorded in your clinical file. These records are used solely for clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring progress.

2. How We Collect Information

We collect information directly from you when you:

• Complete new patient forms.
• Discuss your health during appointments.
• Provide information over the phone, via email, or through our website (e.g., online booking forms).

In some cases, with your consent, we may collect information from other healthcare providers involved in your care (e.g., your GP, specialists).

3. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We collect and use your information for the following primary purposes:

• To Provide Podiatric Care: To accurately assess, diagnose, treat, and manage your podiatric conditions.
• Clinical Record Keeping: To maintain comprehensive and accurate clinical records, which is a professional and legal requirement.
• Communication: To contact you regarding appointments, treatment plans, and relevant health information.
• Billing and Payments: To process payments for services and products.
• ACC Claims: To facilitate and manage ACC claims related to your treatment (with your consent).
• Clinic Administration: For internal auditing, service improvement, and managing our practice.
• Legal & Ethical Compliance: To comply with professional, legal, and regulatory obligations.

4. Sharing Your Information

Your personal and health information is confidential. We will only share your information in the following circumstances:

• With Your Consent: When you give us explicit permission to do so (e.g., sharing information with another healthcare provider involved in your care).
• For ACC Claims: Information necessary for processing your ACC claim will be shared with ACC.
• Emergency Situations: In a genuine emergency where there is a serious and immediate threat to your life or health.
• As Required by Law: Where we are legally compelled to disclose information (e.g., court order, public health requirements).
• Debt Collection: If an account remains unpaid, limited information may be shared with a third-party debt collection agency, strictly for the purpose of recovering outstanding fees.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Overseas Disclosure: Please note that some third-party service providers who support our operations (e.g., for secure electronic record-keeping, data backup) may store or process your personal information outside of New Zealand. By receiving our services, you acknowledge and agree that your information may be transferred to, and stored in, such overseas locations. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any overseas recipient protects your information to a standard comparable to that required by the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

5. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We are committed to protecting your personal and health information from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. We implement various security measures, including:

• Secure electronic record-keeping systems with access controls.
• Physical security measures for any hard-copy records.
• Staff training on privacy and data protection.
• Secure disposal of information when no longer required.

Your records are retained for the period required by relevant professional guidelines and New Zealand law.

6. Managing Privacy Breaches

In the unlikely event of a privacy breach (e.g., unauthorised access to, or disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction of, personal information), we will act promptly. If a breach is deemed to have caused or is likely to cause serious harm to you or others, we will comply with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020, which includes notifying the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals as soon as practicable.

7. Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Access Your Information: Request a copy of the personal and health information we hold about you.
• Request Correction: Ask us to correct any incorrect or incomplete information we hold about you.
• Complain: If you believe your privacy has been breached, you have the right to make a complaint.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below. We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Website and Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your Browse experience. These generally collect anonymous data about website usage and traffic. You can usually manage your cookie preferences through your web browser settings. We do not use website cookies to collect personally identifiable health information.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available on our website or by request.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, or if you wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact:

Sophronia Kear: Clinic Director/Principal Podiatrist The Good Podiatrist M: 021 121 0435 Email: hello@thegoodpodiatrist.co.nz