Bowel screening privacy and complaints

When you participate in the National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP), your bowel screening test result will be stored on the NBSP Bowel Screening Register.

If you need a publicly funded colonoscopy, information from your colonoscopy will be stored in a centralised database called the Provation Centralised Database. Your privacy and confidentiality will be fully respected at all times. 

The national Provation Centralised Database is managed by Health New Zealand. This database helps us to ensure consistent, high-quality care across the country. This information also helps us with planning and funding of health services and supports the creation of statistical reports to improve services across New Zealand. 

These reports only use combined data and will not identify any individuals. 

You have the right to access your health information and request corrections at any time. To do this, contact your local health team. 

Information from this database will be used to update the Bowel Screening Register.

If you have a biopsy during your colonoscopy, laboratory results will also be used to update the Bowel Screening Register.

The Bowel Screening Register stores:

• all your test results
• information on any assessment or treatment you have received
• your next reminder date
• your NHI number (National Health Index number)
• other information included on your consent form (date of birth, gender, ethnicity, GP details, address and contact information).

When you join the National Bowel Screening Programme we will keep your information secure and only use it for purposes related to the screening programme. Your privacy and confidentiality will be respected throughout.

We will hold your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

Privacy Act 2020 and the Privacy Principles — Office of the Privacy Commissionerexternal link

Your information may be used to:

• contact you when you are due for screening
• send you a bowel screening test kit
• contact you about your test results
• manage your pathway through the screening system
• record the result of your test and any recommended further investigations
• advising your GP and health district of your test result (we will not contact your GP if you tell us not to)
• advise other health professionals involved in your care of your test result
• plan for national and regional services (you will not be identified)
• evaluate and monitor the programme (you will not be identified)
• educate service providers working with the programme (you will not be identified)
• contribute to health research approved by an ethics committee to check the programme is working well and to help make improvements (you will not be identified).

The following people might access your information and will be under strict confidentiality obligations:

• the National Bowel Screening Programme
• health professionals who are involved in your care
• your health district
• the national coordination centre (Whakarongorau) staff to keep in contact with you, update your details and monitor your pathway
• your Primary Health Organisation
• Health NZ data analysts (individuals are not identified)
• any authorised researchers (any research produced will not identify any individuals).

Your healthcare provider will hold this information about you as required by the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996.

The information will be kept indefinitely for the following purposes:

• there are people who want to see what information has ever been collected about them
• information stored about a particular person may still have relevance to them and their descendants in the future
• for research and statistical purposes.

The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights allows you to make a complaint in a way that is appropriate for you.

If you want to make a complaint about this programme or the service you have received, you can contact the National Bowel Screening Programme.

• Call: 0800 924 432
• Email: info@bowelscreening.health.nz

You can also get information from the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner.

• Call: 0800 112 233
• Website: Health and Disability Commissionerexternal link

Get in contact with us if you want to access the information we have about you, update any information or opt out of the programme.

• Call: 0800 924 432
• Email: info@bowelscreening.health.nz

We will need proof of identity before providing you with any personal information.