NZBS Privacy Policy

This privacy policy explains how New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) collects, uses and shares information gathered about you as a result of you using the website www.nzblood.co.nz, using the NZ Blood Service App or posting user content, signing up to become a blood donor, making a donation or having your blood tested in a laboratory.

We take care to exercise our information gathering powers appropriately and meet our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

You can find detailed information about:

Website and Mobile App

  • We do not collect identifiable information about you if you only browse our website and mobile app.
  • We do not collect personal information unless you choose to give it to us.
  • Where you voluntarily provide personal information (e.g. through online forms or email requests), we are required, as a minimum, to hold your personal information as directed under the Privacy Act 2020. This Act regulates us through the 13 Information Privacy Principles as to how we collect, use, hold, disclose, access, correct, manage and dispose of your personal information.
  • Some information (e.g. site/app browsing patterns) is automatically retrieved while visiting our site/app. Please be assured that in the event that any personal information is sourced we only use this information in aggregate form so that no effort is made to identify individual visitors.
  • We analyse non-identifiable web traffic/app data to improve our services.

NZBS uses the information to:

  • operate, administer and improve the site/app.
  • communicate with you for any purpose relating to the site in connection with the Terms.
  • enforce its rights under the Terms.

Cookies

  • This website stores cookies on your computer.
  • A ‘cookie’ is a record-keeping token that allows NZBS to collect and store information about how you interact with our website
  • The data is collected and stored on our internal servers only and is only accessed by authorised staff.
  • We recommend that users enable cookies on their browsers in order to improve and customise their browsing experience when they interact with other media from us, including ads on social media and landing pages, but the decision remains in the hands of the individual.
  • The management of cookies will be different depending on each user’s PC (please refer to your browser help menu for further information). Turning off cookies will not affect your ability to use this site.

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Security of personal information

Information provided will be held by New Zealand Blood Service. We store all physical and electronic records securely in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

We store some of the personal information we collect and generate electronically on Microsoft Azure cloud servers located in Australia. We also use Microsoft Office 365 for our email and other office productivity applications. This means that the personal information we hold may be transferred to, or accessed from, countries other than New Zealand.

Sharing of personal information

We generally do not share your personal information with others unless this is necessary for the purpose for which you gave us the information. Occasionally the law may require us to disclose it (for instance to investigate a criminal offence), or there may be safety reasons for disclosing it.

Your rights and choices

We are happy to provide you with access to any personal information that we hold about you. If it is wrong, please ask us to correct it. If you have any concerns about the privacy of your personal information, or to ask for access or correction, please contact the New Zealand Blood Service Privacy Officer using the details here.

Mail

The Privacy Officer

New Zealand Blood Service

Private Bag 92071

Victoria Street West

Auckland 1142

Email

privacy@nzblood.co.nz 

Blood donor personal information

NZBS collects your personal information when you register to donate blood and when you make a donation. We collect this information via forms on the website (www.nzblood.co.nz), inside our Donor App and on hard copy forms.
The personal information is used by NZBS:

  • To assess your eligibility to give blood;
  • To communicate with you about your blood donation;
  • For general marketing or publicity for the purpose of recruiting blood donors and promotion of NZBS (this includes utilising social media channels);
  • For the purpose for which you supplied it or, in exceptional situations, for other reasons permitted under the Privacy Act 2020.

We also record some phone calls for quality and verification purposes:

  • Calls to and from our call centre.
  • Calls to and from our specialist nursing team that manages medical queries and assesses bone donors.

Patient personal information

If your doctor requests a blood test from a NZBS laboratory or another blood bank laboratory in New Zealand, your personal details will be provided to the laboratory and entered into a national database.

NZBS uses the personal information:

  • To maintain a history of your blood test results
  • To provide a test report to your doctor
  • To maintain a record of your blood transfusions.

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NZBS has security cameras installed at some of its facilities, which are capable of recording images 24 hours a day. Security camera operation is being carried out in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. Where possible NZBS has endeavoured to use cameras that are triggered by movement and avoid intrusive camera locations. 

Security cameras are installed to:

  • detect and potentially deter unlawful activity in and around facilities.

  • customer service and monitor the presence of people in an area, e.g. a donor waiting area.

  • staff to verify contractors seeking access out of normal hours e.g. Courier drivers

Where cameras are being used for the purposes of safety and security, images may be recorded and stored securely for a maximum of three months unless required for further investigation.

Identifiable images are not disclosed without the subject’s consent unless required for Police investigations or another purpose covered by an exemption in the Privacy Act.

Individuals may request copies of footage containing images of themselves. In some circumstances, the request may not be granted, e.g. if it compromises the privacy of another individual.

 

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Mail

The Privacy Officer
New Zealand Blood Service
Private Bag 92071
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142

Email

privacy@nzblood.co.nz

For more information click here to visit the website of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

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