Karen's Key Tips and Practice Tricks
If you have any feedback, ideas for tips or need assistance contact Karen at Karen.Bolch@wellsouth.org.nz.
18 June 2025 - General Medical Services (GMS) explained
What is GMS?
GMS are subsidies paid to general practices under the Section 88 notice to help reduce patient fees for children and subsidy card holders for standard consults.
Click here to read more/print pdf.
4 June 2025 - Retention of patient records and confidentiality
Patient health information is highly confidential and must always be handled with care, even after a patient has left the medical centre or is deceased.
Storage and security
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Electronic Records: Must be stored in a password-protected system with secure backups to prevent data loss.
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Hard Copy Records: Should be securely stored, away from public areas, and easily accessible when required.
Retention period
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Patient records must be retained for a minimum of 10 years and one day from the date of the last patient encounter.
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Enrolment forms must be kept for 10 years from the last date a payment was claimed.
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A legible electronic copy of the signed form meets this requirement.
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Enrolment and dis-enrolment records should be readily retrievable for audits and may be stored with medical records or in separate files.
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Retaining records beyond the minimum period is recommended for patients with complex or long-term conditions, including paediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynaecology, and orthopaedics.
Destruction of records
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Patient records must be destroyed in a secure and confidential manner, such as shredding or burning.
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A professional document destruction service may also be used.
Access and transfer of records
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Patients (or their representatives) are entitled to copies of their records at no charge, unless a request has already been made within the past year. Exceptions apply to video recordings, x-rays, and CAT scans.
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Patient records must not be withheld due to outstanding payments or commercial disputes.
Printable pdf here.
Links to further information:
Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996
Medical Council of New Zealand: Current Standards