Requesting Your Medical Records (New Zealand)

Can I Obtain the Medical Records from My Abortion?

In New Zealand, it is possible to obtain copies of your medical records. However, you cannot obtain another person's medical records without their written permission.

To obtain a copy of your medical records, you will need make your request in writing to the records section of the relevant hospital board (for abortions performed at public hospitals), or to the private clinic, or physician concerned.

You will need to include the following information:

• Your full name;
• Your full name at the time you had your abortion (if different from the above);
• Your date of birth;
• Your NHI or ‘hospital’ number, if known;
• Your current postal address;
• Your address at the time you received the service (if different from above);
• The records you want (eg, records for your abortion counselling and abortion);
• The date of your abortion.

It is possible that the medical and other records relating to your pregnancy/abortion will not all be held in one place. Here are some examples of the records you might want/need to request:

• Pregnancy Test:
If you did not use a home pregnancy test, you may want to obtain the medical records relating to your test.
• Counselling:
Did you have counselling somewhere other than the abortion clinic?
• Certfying Consultants:
In New Zealand, women must see 2 certifying consultants before an abortion can be legally performed. The certifying consultants could have been your general practitioner (family doctor), doctors at a family planning clinic, a private obstetrician/gynaecologist (Ob/Gyn), and/or an abortion doctor at the abortion clinic.
• Abortion Clinic:
The hospital, or private abortion clinic, where your abortion was performed will hold records about your abortion. If you also had abortion counselling at the abortion clinic, you should be able to obtain the counselling records as well as those about your abortion procedure.
• Post-abortion Counselling:
Did you have counselling after your abortion?
• Treatment for Abortion Complications/Injury:
Did you need treatment for complications or injury from your abortion? If you were transported to hospital by ambulance, you may want to check that the ambulance records are included with your hospital records.
• Routine Follow-up Appointment
Did you have a routine follow-up appointment (usually around 6 weeks after the procedure)?

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