The Government has failed to protect New Zealanders’ private health information, and stronger rules and penalties are needed to ensure personal information is kept safe.

“National’s lax approach to security standards has left thousands of New Zealanders’ deeply personal health information exposed,” Labour health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall said.

“All health providers must be properly regulated and held accountable in terms of how they handle personal information. The Government should be enforcing the security standards Labour introduced in 2022.

“The Privacy Commissioner has called for penalties to drive compliance, but the National Government has instead cut funding to the privacy watchdog. As this latest debacle has shown, stronger rules and penalties will ensure Kiwis can trust that their most sensitive information is safe.

“The upcoming review should examine whether Budget 24 cuts undermined cyber security across the health system. It must also address the Government’s failure to properly implement the 2021 recommendation to share cyber security capability with private health providers.

“New Zealanders deserve confidence that when they use an app like Manage My Health, their information is safe and kept private,” Ayesha Verrall said.