Privacy Policy

PATIENT PRIVACY STATEMENT

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1 JUNE 2026 – VERSION 2026/1.  (REVIEWED ANNUALLY)

1 ABOUT THIS STATEMENT

This Privacy Statement explains how Lees Dental Company Limited (‘we’, ‘our’, us’) collects and holds, uses and discloses personal and health information about our patients.  It applies to all information we hold about you, regardless of how or when it was collected.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and to handling your health information with the care, professionalism, and confidentiality it deserves.  We comply with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (HIPC), including the amendments to the HIPC that came into force on 1 May 2026.

2 WHO WE ARE

Lees Dental Company Limited

124 St Aubyn Street, New Plymouth, 4310

Tel: 06 759 1630, email: contact@leesdental.co.nz

Website: www.leesdental.co.nz

Privacy Officer: Simon Lees, email: contact@leesdental.co.nz

Our Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring we handle your personal information in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. If you have any questions about how we handle your information, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details above.

3 WHAT PERSONAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect personal and health information about you for the purpose of providing you with safe and effective dental care.  The type of information we collect depends on the services we provide to you.

3.1 INFORMATION WE COLLECT DIRECTLY FROM YOU

When you register as a patient, attend appointments, or communicate with us, we collect information directly from you, including;

. Personal details: full name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity (where relevant to care), contact details including address, phone numbers and email address

. Emergency contact and next-of-kin details

. Health information: medical and dental history, current medications, allergies, relevant systemic conditions, and details of previous dental treatment

. Insurance and funding information: ACC claim details, private health insurance information

. Payment information: billing details (note: we do not store credit card numbers)

. Information you provide through our website, patient portal, or by telephone, email, or correspondence.

3.2 INFORMATION WE COLLECT INDIRECTLY FROM THIRD PARTIES (IPP3A NOTICE)

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE – INDIRECT COLLECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION (IPP3A) From 1 May 2026, the Privacy Amendment Act 2025 required us to inform you when we collect your personal or health information from a source other than yourself.  This is called ‘indirect collection’. The sections below explain the circumstances in which we may collect information about you indirectly, and from who. We only collect information about you indirectly when we have a proper basis to do so, and only for the purposes described in this statement.  In most cases, we will also have your consent.

 

We may collect information about you indirectly from the following categories of third parties, for the purposes described:

a   Your general medical practitioner (GP) or other medical specialists

We may contact your GP or medical specialists to obtain information relevant to your dental care. This most commonly occurs when:

. We need to verify or update your current medication list to ensure safe provision of dental treatment (for example, before prescribing antibiotics, or analgesics)

.  We need to obtain a medical or specialist advice prior to dental procedures (for example, prior to oral surgery for a patient on anticoagulant therapy)

. We receive a referral from your GP, specialist or other healthcare provider requesting dental assessment or treatment

. We need information about a medical condition that may affect your dental treatment or recovery

We regularly liaise with the following GP practices and Specialist Services:

SPECIALISTS:

ORAL SURGEONS – TARANAKI SPECIALIST CENTRE

ORAL SURGEON – HAMILTON DENTAL PRACTICE

ENDODONTIC SPECIALIST – ANGLESEA ENDODONTICS HAMILTON

ORTHODONTICS – TARANAKI ORTHODONTICS, TOTAL ORTHODONTICS

DENTAL DEPARTMENT TARANAKI BASE HOSPITAL

PERIODONTICS AND IMPLANTOLOGY – DR SHENG ZHANG DENTAL ARTISTRY

IMPLANTOLOGY – DR MARK WORTHINGTON

 

GP/MEDICAL CENTRES:

CAREFIRST MEDICAL CENTRES, DEVON MEDICAL CENTRE, VIVIAN MEDICAL CENTRE, CENTRAL MEDICAL, CITY WEST, EASTSIDE MEDICAL, STRANDON HEALTH, TUI ORA, OAKURA MEDICAL CENTRE, COASTAL MEDICAL CENTRES, THE NEST HEALTH CENTRE, PINNACLE MEDICAL

 

(b) Referring dental practitioners and specialists

 

If you have been referred to us by another dentist, dental specialist, dental therapist, or other healthcare provider, we will receive a referral letter or report containing information about your dental and medical history and the reason for referral.  We may also request further information from the referring practitioner, if required, for your care.

Conversely, if we refer you to another dental or medical specialist or other health service (e.g. hospital dental service), we will share relevant information about you with that practitioner or service.

(c) Hospital and specialist dental services

We may receive or request information from hospital-based dental services, oral medicine clinics, oral and maxillofacial surgery services, or other specialist health services.  This may include discharge summaries, clinical reports, radiological reports, or pathology reports.

We regularly liaise with the following hospital or specialist services:

TARANAKI BASE HOSPITAL DENTAL DEPARTMENT

ORAL SURGEONS – TARANAKI SPECIALIST CENTRES, HAMILTON DENTAL

(d) Dental and medical laboratories

We work with dental laboratories to fabricate restorations, prostheses, and other dental appliances.  These laboratories receive information about you (including impressions, digital scans, shade specifications, and instructions) in order to complete your prescribed work.  We may also receive pathology results or reports from medical or histopathological laboratories in relation to oral tissue samples taken during your treatment.

We regularly liaise with the following laboratories:

XYZ Dentures New Plymouth, TCB Dentures New Plymouth, Southern Cross Dental Laboratory Auckland

(e) Radiological and imaging services

 If you have undergone dental imaging (such as CBCT, CT, or MRI scanning) at an external radiological service, we may receive imaging data and reports from that provider.  We may also provide relevant clinical information to that service to assist with the interpretation of your images.

(f) ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation)

If your dental treatment is related to an accident, we may receive information from ACC about your claim entitlement, treatment approvals, and payment authorisations.  We may also provide information to ACC to support claim management.  ACC’s handling of your information is subject to ACC’s own privacy obligations.

(g) Private health insurers

If you hold private health insurance and wish to claim for claim for dental treatment, we may receive information from your insurer regarding your policy, entitlements, and claims.  We may also provide treatment information to your insurer for the purposes of processing claims, with your consent.

(h) Parents, guardians, attorneys, and authorised carers

For patients who are under 16 years of age, or who have a legally appointed guardian, attorney or support person, we may collect information from that person on your behalf. In such cases, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are also made aware of the information collected, to the extent consistent with your age and capacity.

(i)  Previous dental practices

If you transfer to our practice from another dental provider, we may request a copy of your dental records from your previous provider, with your consent.

(j) Other health providers involved in your care

In some circumstances, we may receive information from other health professionals involved in your broader healthcare – for example, pharmacists, physiotherapists, speech-language therapists, or community health workers – where this information is relevant to your dental treatment.

 

4 WHY WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION

We collect, hold, and use your information for the following purposes:

. To provide you with safe, effective, and appropriate dental care and treatment

. To assess your medical and dental history and identify any factors relevant to your safety during treatment

. To communicate with other health providers involved in your care, including your GP, specialists, and laboratory services

. To process referrals to and from other dental and health practitioners

. To maintain accurate clinical records as required by the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) Practice Standards

. To process payments (including any Dental Benefit claims), insurance claims, and ACC funding

. To fulfil our legal and regulatory obligations, including under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) and relevant DCNZ standards

. To contact you for appointment management, recall, and follow-up purposes

. For practice management, quality assurance, and clinical audit purposes (in de-identified form where practicable)

. To respond to your enquiries and complaints

5 LAWFUL BASIS FOR COLLECTION

We collect information directly from you as a standard part of providing high quality dental care.  Where we collect information indirectly from third parties, we do on one or more of the following bases:

. You have consented to us contacting a third party to obtain information

. Collection from a third party is necessary for the safe provision of your dental treatment, and direct collection from you is not reasonably practicable (for example, in an emergency, or where you are unable to accurately recall your medication or medical history)

. Collection is required or authorised by a New Zealand law (for example, ACC legislation, the HPCAA, or DCNZ standards)

. Collection is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or that of another person

This is consistent with Information Privacy Principle 2 (IPP2) of the Privacy Act 202o and Rule 2 of the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.

6 WHO MAY RECEIVE YOUR INFORMATION

We may disclose your information to the following parties, where relevant to your care or required by law:

. Parents, guardians, attorneys, carers or other person(s) authorised by you to receive information on your behalf.

. Other health practitioners involved in your care (GPs, specialists, hospitals

. Dental and medical laboratories undertaking work on your behalf.

. ACC, in connection with accident-related dental treatment for you

. Your private health insurer, with your consent, in connection with insurance claims

. Our software and technology providers (acting as data processors on our behalf, under contractual data protection obligations)

. Regulatory bodies, including the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) and the Health and Disability Commissioner, where required by law or professional obligation

. Legal advisers, where necessary in connection with legal proceedings or advice

. In an emergency, to health providers or emergency services where necessary to protect your life or health

We do not sell your personal information to any third party. We do not use your information for marketing purposes without your separate explicit consent.

7 HOW WE STORE AND PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

We store your clinical records in our Exact Dental Management System and Our Cloud IT Solutions. All digital records are protected by:

. Password protection and role-based access controls

. Encrypted data storage and transmission

. Regular data backups

. Security measures consistent with the requirements of the Health Information Privacy Code 2020

Paper records, where held, are stored securely in locked premises.  Staff with access to patient information are bound by confidentiality obligations as a condition of their employment.

. Our Practice uses Our Cloud IT Solutions for our Practice IT systems.

8 HOW LONG WE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION

We retain your dental records for a minimum period consistent with the DCNZ Practice Standards and the requirements of the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.  Current DCNZ requirements provide:

. Adult patient records: minimum 10 years from the date of last treatment

. Child/minor patient records: minimum 10 years from the date of last treatment, or until the patient reaches the age of 26 years, whichever is the longer period

After the applicable retention period, records are disposed of securely in a manner that protects patient confidentiality.

9 YOUR RIGHTS

You have the following rights in relation to your health information under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.

9.1 RIGHT OF ACCESS

You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. We will respond to your request within 20 working days.  We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access in certain circumstances.

To request access to your information, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing at the address provided in section 2.

9.2 RIGHT OF CORRECTION

If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, you may ask us to correct it. We will consider your request and, where we agree that a correction is warranted, make the correction within 20 working days. Where we do not agree with a proposed correction, we will attach a statement of your view to the relevant record.

9.3 RIGHT TO RAISE CONCERNS

If you have concerns about how we have handled your information, we encourage you to contact our Privacy Officer in the first instance.  We take all privacy concerns seriously and will investigate and respond to your complaint promptly.

If you remain dissatisfied after raising your concerns with us, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC):

. Website: www.privacy.org.nz

. Phone: 0800 803 909

. Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz

Health-specific complaints may also be directed to the Health and Disability Commissioner:

. Website: www.hdc.org.nz

. Phone: 0800 11 22 33

10 OVERSEAS DISCLOSURE

We do not routinely disclose your information overseas.  Where disclosure outside New Zealand is necessary (for example, where a specialist dental laboratory is located overseas or where you require emergency dental care whilst travelling), we will only do so in accordance with Information Privacy Principle 12 of the Privacy Act 2020, and will take reasonable steps to ensure your information receives comparable protections to those required in New Zealand.

11 CHANGES TO THIS STATEMENT

We review this Privacy Statement at least annually, or whenever our information-handling practices change materially.  The current version of this statement is available on our website at www.leesdental.co.nz and on request from our reception team.  The version number and effective date are shown at the top of this statement.

If we make significant changes to this statement, we will notify current patients by appropriate means such as email, SMS, or notice in the practice.