How to access and amend personal and health information

What information you can request

People have the right to access personal and health information NESA holds about them without excessive delay or expense, with the exception of information which is provided on a fee for service basis. They also have the right to request alteration of their personal or health information, so that it is accurate and, having regard to the purpose for which it was collected, relevant, up to date and not misleading.

Requests can be dealt with by the business unit where the records are held, in accordance with the Procedures for Access to or Alteration of Personal and Health Information published on the intranet, or by the Access and Privacy Officer if the business unit is not known.

Requests should be in writing in most instances and should:

• identify the information involved,
• identify the document, database or business unit in which the information is recorded;
• explain how the person wants to access or alter the information;
• include the person’s name and contact details, postal address, phone number and email address; and
• include some verification of the person’s identity.  

Application forms

Using the relevant application form for access or alteration is recommended and requests can be sent by email, post or fax to the Access and Privacy Officer if the business unit is not known.

Download the application form:

• Application form to access personal or health information (PDF 99KB)
• Application form for alteration of personal or health information (PDF 97.51KB)

How long your application will take

NESA aims to respond in writing to formal applications within 20 working days. NESA will contact the person to advise how long the request is likely to take, particularly if it may take longer than expected.

If a person thinks NESA is taking an unreasonable amount of time to respond to an application, they have the right to seek an internal review. Before seeking an internal review, contact us to ask for an update or timeframe on the response.

References

Replacement Certificates and HSC results services are available on a fee for service basis. See NESA's Agency Information Guide for details.