• Home /
• Privacy Act 2020 /
• Codes of practice /
• Health Information Privacy Code 2020

Privacy Act 2020

About the code

The Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC) covers health information about identifiable individuals that is collected, used, held, and disclosed by health agencies. It takes the place of the information privacy principles (IPPs) for the health sector and applies to:

• all agencies providing personal or public health or disability services such as primary health organisations, rest homes, supported accommodation, doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists;
  
  
• and some agencies that do not provide health services to individuals but which are part of the health sector such as ACC, the Ministry of Health, the Health Research Council, health insurers and professional disciplinary bodies.

Read the full code 

Health Information Privacy Code 2020- incorporating Amendment No 1
Health Information Privacy Code 2020
Amendment No 1 to the HIPC

Health Information Privacy Code 2020 Amendment No 1
Amendment No 1 was issued on 25 May 2022 and came into force on 1 July 2022. The amendment aligned the Code with structural reforms within the public health and disability support sector. The amendment removed references to District Health Boards given their disestablishment by the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill (the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 after 1 July 2022).

It also added Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora), and the Ministry of Disabled People (Whaikaha) to Schedule 2 of the Code, allowing them to assign an NHI, and updated the contracting provision in Schedule 2 and updated some terms used and fixed two minor errors identified following the repeal and replacement of the Code in 2020.

Name change for Institute of Environmental Research and Science (ESR)
As of 1 July 2025, the Institute of Environmental Science (ESR) has changed its name to New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Limited (PHF Science). ESR is listed in Schedule 1 of the Health Information Privacy Code. OPC will make the name change to Schedule 1 of the HIPC as part of the next round of consequential changes.

Until this name change is made, references to ESR in Schedule 1 of the HIPC should be read to refer to New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Limited (PHF Science).

Supporting documents 

• Information Paper on changes to the HIPC 2020
• Submissions received on HIPC 2020
• Final information paper on Amendment No 1 to HIPC 
• Submissions received on Amendment No 1

Read our summary factsheets 

• Factsheet 1: Overview
• Factsheet 2: Collection of Information
• Factsheet 3: Disclosure of Information
• Factsheet 4: Dealing with Access Requests
• Factsheet 5: Storage, Security, Retention and Disposal of Health Information

Previous versions (now revoked)

• Health Information Privacy Code 1993 (Temporary)
• Health Information Privacy Code 1993 (Temporary) Amendment No. 1
• Health Information Privacy Code 1993 (Temporary) Amendment No. 2
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 1 (Temporary)
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 2
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 3
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 4
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 5
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 6
  Explanatory note to Amendment No. 6
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 7
  
  • Explanatory note to Amendment No. 7, general information and
  • media release.
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 8
  • Information paper on the proposed changes.
• Health Information Privacy Code 1994 Amendment No. 9
  • Information paper on the amendments.  Submissions received in light of reforms made by the Intelligence and Security Act 2017:
    • Spark
    • NZ Human Rights Commission
    • NZ Law Society
    • NZ Telecommunications Forum
    • Centrix