Privacy Policy

At East Coast Bays Vet Clinic, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.

We collect, use, store and share personal information only as necessary to provide veterinary care for your pets, manage our business, and meet our legal and professional obligations. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we protect it, and your rights regarding your information.

What Information We Collect

We may collect personal information including:

• Your name, address, phone number and email address
• Emergency contact details
• Payment and billing information
• Pet ownership information
• Your pet’s medical history, treatment records, laboratory results and imaging
• Insurance information (where applicable)
• Communications with our clinic, including emails, phone calls and online enquiries
• Information provided through our website, online booking system or client forms

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide veterinary services or operate our practice.

How We Use Your Information

Your information may be used to:

• Provide veterinary care for your pet
• Contact you regarding appointments, treatment plans, test results or follow-up care
• Process payments and manage accounts
• Submit insurance claims where authorised
• Send reminders for vaccinations, preventative healthcare and appointments
• Improve our services and clinic operations
• Meet legal, regulatory and professional requirements

Where appropriate, we may also send you information about services offered by our clinic. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

East Coast Bays Vet Clinic may use approved Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist our team with administrative and communication tasks.

Examples include:

• Drafting client communications
• Creating educational material
• Assisting with policy and document preparation
• Improving efficiency in administrative workflows
• Summarising non-clinical information

AI is not used to replace the professional judgement of our veterinarians or nurses.

When AI is used:

• All clinical decisions remain the responsibility of our veterinary professionals.
• Staff review and verify AI-generated content before it is used.
• We do not intentionally enter identifiable personal or confidential client information into public AI systems unless appropriate safeguards and privacy protections are in place.
• AI tools are used in accordance with our internal AI Use Policy.

Sharing Your Information

We may share information where necessary with:

• Specialist veterinary hospitals or referral clinics
• Diagnostic laboratories
• Imaging providers
• Pet insurance companies (with your authorisation where required)
• Emergency veterinary providers involved in your pet’s care
• Regulatory authorities where required by law
• Service providers who assist us in operating our clinic, such as practice management software providers, payment processors and IT support providers

We do not sell your personal information.

Protecting Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

These measures include:

• Secure practice management software
• Password-protected systems
• Appropriate staff access controls
• Staff training regarding confidentiality and privacy
• Secure storage of electronic and paper records

Only authorised staff members have access to client information necessary for their role.

How Long We Keep Information

We retain records for as long as required to provide ongoing veterinary care and to meet legal, professional and business requirements.

When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed or permanently de-identified where appropriate.

Website and Online Services

Our website may collect limited technical information such as:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device information
• Pages visited
• Cookies and website analytics

This information helps us improve our website and user experience.

You can disable cookies through your web browser, although some website features may not function correctly.

Accessing or Correcting Your Information

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request correction if you believe it is inaccurate.

To make a request, please contact us using the details below.

Third-Party Services

Our clinic uses a number of trusted third-party service providers to help deliver veterinary services. These providers may process information on our behalf and are expected to maintain appropriate privacy and security standards.

Some of the software and cloud-based services we use to operate our clinic, including our practice management system, communication platforms and approved AI tools, may store or process information on secure servers located outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that any overseas service providers have appropriate privacy and security safeguards in place and handle your personal information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 or equivalent privacy standards.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology or our clinic operations.

The latest version will always be available on our website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we manage your information, please contact:

East Coast Bays Vet Clinic
Phone: (09) 478 3924
Email: info@ecbvet.co.nz
Website: www.ecbvet.co.nz

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand.