Information for media

All requests for patient conditions, staff and patient interviews, photographs or filming must be made through the national media team via email hnzmedia@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Under no circumstances may interviews, filming or photography be carried out on the hospital sites without permission from the national media team.

If you carry out filming or photography without permission, our hospital security teams will ask you to leave the site immediately. For more information see information for media visiting hospitals below.

The national media team can save you time and trouble trying to track down medical staff and researchers who specialise in the subject you are covering. Often we can put you in contact with a busy practitioner who may not otherwise understand the demands of your deadlines.

We can provide you with images of our hospitals, staff and board members suitable for publication and are happy to take high resolution photographs on request.

Health New Zealand |Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) has moved to a consistent approach when it comes to responding to patient status updates/condition updates from journalists.

Health NZ has introduced a privacy waiver to ensure that we are putting the patient at the centre of any decision making when disclosing information to media - Privacy-Waiver-policy.pdf (tewhatuora.govt.nz)

Where media representatives request information held by Health NZ about an individual patient’s care or treatment, we adhere to the principles outlined in rule 11 of the Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC), and section 9(2)(a) of the OIA.

Please note, while the HIPC authorises disclosure of patient status updates, this is not a mandatory requirement and Health NZ is not obligated to provide comment on, disclose information or express an opinion about an individual patient’s care to the media. These decisions are often made on a case-by-case basis and can involve local clinical leadership, our Legal and Privacy teams. This includes deciding whether to rely on a privacy waiver as a basis for sharing this type of personal information.

As such, we will need the patient’s name or NHI for any condition update requests. We also need permission from the patient to release information on their condition.

Patient status terminology and definitions

• Stable: condition unchanged

• Serious, but stable: vital signs stable, within normal limits, patient conscious and comfortable, indicators favourable.

• Serious: vital signs stable and within normal limits, patient conscious but may be uncomfortable, indicators questionable.

• Critical: Vital signs unstable, not within normal limits, patient may not be conscious, indicators unfavourable.

Confirmation of a patient's death occurs only with family consent and after notifying next of kin. Sometimes we will refer you to the police media liaison officer rather than comment ourselves.

• The national media team must approve access by the media to any of our hospitals for professional duties.

• In consideration of the rights to confidentiality of our patients, their families and our staff the media team will confirm all recording and interviews on hospital property before they occur.

• Patient or parental permission alone is insufficient consent as we need to consider patient safety, privacy for other patients and other factors such as infection control risks and staff concerns.

• Please let us know your needs in advance. If your plan includes photography of a patient, family or a staff member at our hospitals, we can obtain photo consent on your behalf in advance. This will avoid delays.

• The national media team will liaise with our clinicians and the patient to arrange a mutually convenient time and location for your interview and will set up where to meet you.

• A member of the local comms team or security will escort you to the patient or staff member you wish to interview.

Information for staff using social media is available on the intranet. 

Specific social media queries should be sent to communications@cdhb.health.nz