Privacy: BreastScreen Aotearoa

We may update this privacy statement from time to time. Check this privacy statement regularly for modifications and updates. This privacy statement was last updated on 15 July 2024. 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) operates BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA), the national breast screening programme, and the National Breast Screening System (NBSS).   
 
BSA works with health service providers including General Practitioners (GPs), breast screening Lead Providers, laboratory service providers and Screening Support Service providers (SSS) to:

• run breast screening campaigns
• identify eligible individuals
• enrol them into the screening service
• deliver breast screening services — this includes administrative staff and specialist clinicians. 

NBSS comprises a series of information technology platforms, systems, applications, and tools that support the delivery of breast screening services. It enables individuals to be identified for campaign and enrolment activities. It allows administrative and clinical records to be used during an individual’s screening pathway and healthcare provision to ensure high quality and safe care. 

The purpose of BSA is to reduce illness and death from breast cancer by identifying cancers at an early stage. It does this through the provision of free mammography screening every two years to around 270,000 asymptomatic females aged 45 to 69 years old. 

Breast screening is important, as breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting females in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is the most common cause of cancer death in females. Having regular mammograms can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer by more than a third. 95% of individuals with breast cancer survive 2 years or more if detected on a screening mammogram. 

Some of the information BSA holds about you is collected from Health New Zealand’s systems, applications and tools where it is already stored. This includes the National Health Index (NHI) register, National Enrolment System (NES) and Consumer Population Identification and Registration (CPIR) system. Using this information helps us identify and contact you to enrol you in BSA.  

Some information may be collected from your GP, an SSS provider or another health service provider if they enrol you in BSA on your behalf or provide information that supports your healthcare. Information is collected direct from you when you self-enrol, including when you make bookings and complete forms when attending appointments. 

Information is collected from you and is generated by health service providers as a result of you attending appointments and participating in the screening service. This information enables us to support your screening pathway and to provide you with healthcare. 

If you do not enable BSA to collect, store and use information about you, you may not be able to access publicly funded screening services. We will not be able to identify if you have chosen to opt out of screening services and may contact you in the future about enrolment and eligibility. 

NBSS securely holds information such as your name, date of birth, sex at birth, gender, ethnicity and contact details to identify when you may be eligible to participate in free breast screening, to contact you to enrol and to support your screening pathway. 

If you have had a breast screen, NBSS securely holds information about your enrolment status, booking and appointment details, health practitioner details and screening details. Information may include mammogram, ultrasound and MRI records, biopsy records and any other relevant clinical information. 

If you have chosen to opt-out, NBSS will securely hold your name, date of birth, contact details, NHI and “withdrawn” status. We need to keep this information, so we don’t contact you again. If you have previously been enrolled, we will retain your screening history, at least until you are no longer eligible for publicly funded screening services. It may be retained after this period as part of your clinical record to support the provision of high quality and safe health services. 

When you join the BSA, we will keep your information secure and only use it for purposes related to screening services and your healthcare. We will always respect your privacy and confidentiality.  

The information collected by NBSS may be used for:  

• identifying you and confirming your eligibility for publicly funded breast screening 
• communicating with you about BSA, and other screening and health services 
• booking your appointments and delivering breast screening services 
• making sure that you can book at a site that is suitable for your needs 
• recording the details of your screening procedure, the results, and any follow-up treatments 
• providing you and your GP (unless you choose otherwise) with your screening results 
• providing health care providers with information to support any healthcare or treatment
• checking and monitoring the BSA for quality and safety purposes.  

Your information will be used by BSA and health practitioners who deliver screening services on our behalf. Unless you choose otherwise, it will be shared with your GP. 

NBSS enables de-identified information to be used by our Lead Providers to manage their delivery of screening services. It may also be used for planning, improving, and funding health services. 

NBSS also enables anonymised information to be used for statistical or research purposes. You cannot be identified when your information is used in this way. 

NBSS is operated by Health New Zealand with regional Lead Providers and SSS providers. The main Radiology Information System supporting NBSS is securely hosted on Azure Web Services located in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. 

BSA keeps all records as: 

• required by the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996
• enabled by the Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code 2020.  

Your screening history is required at least until you are no longer eligible for publicly funded screening services. It may be retained after this period as part of your clinical record to support the provision of high quality and safe health services. 

The Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 give you the right to ask:  

• if BSA or Health New Zealand hold any personal information about you 
• for access to your personal information including health information and medical records 
• that BSA or Health New Zealand correct your personal information.   
  
  
• Privacy Act 2020 (external link)
• Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (external link) 

If you want to make a request for your personal information you can contact BSA:

• by calling 0800 270 200
• by emailing screening@health.govt.nz 
• downloading the 'Health Information Request form' from the Health New Zealand website.

Personal or health information requests — Health New Zealand (external link)

On this page, you will be asked to complete a request form. It is designed to help us identify: 

•  records you would like it to search  
• types of information you are looking for  
• relevant places, such as hospitals, you think might hold your information  
• dates on which a record containing information may have been created.   

To protect privacy, requests must be accompanied by proof of identification and address.

For more information or assistance email HNZprivacy@tewhatuora.govt.nz 

If you have any queries or concerns about how your personal information has been collected, stored, used or disclosed,  contact BSA to see if we can resolve the problem by:

• calling 0800 270 200
• emailing screening@health.govt.nz 

When you call us, to protect your privacy, we will ask you to prove your identity.

If we cannot address your concern, you can then contact the National Privacy team by:

• emailing hnzprivacy@health.govt.nz 
• writing to: Privacy Officer - Te Whatu Ora, PO Box 793, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

If you are not satisfied with our response to any concerns, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner (external link)

You can also learn more about your rights as a health service consumer under Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights.

Health and Disability Commissioner (external link)

You can choose to opt-out of BSA. To do so, contact us on 0800 270 200   
 
If you choose to opt-out of BSA, NBSS will securely hold your name, date of birth, contact details, NHI and “withdrawn” status. We need to keep this information, so we do not contact you again.   
 
If you have previously been enrolled, we will also retain your screening history, at least until it is no longer required under the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996. 

If you change your mind, you can re-join BSA at any time. 

• call 0800 270 200
• talk to your GP or healthcare provider
• re-enrol online by going to the enrolment form.

Sign up for your 2-yearly mammogram (internal link)