Portal Security FAQ
Information about portal security and common queries
We understand that some patients have questions about how their personal and health information is protected when using online patient services. These concerns are completely understandable, and we want to provide clear reassurance.
Where is my clinical health record kept?
Your clinical health record remains stored and governed within your medical practice’s clinical system. This system is the record of truth for all your medical information.
Does the patient portal store my full medical record?
No. Vensa, the patient portal used by your practice, does not replace the clinical system or operate as a centralised medical record. Vensa provides a secure way for you to access services, communicate with your practice, and manage requests such as bookings or prescriptions, without changing how your clinical record is held or governed.
Depending on your privacy settings, some categories of information may be accessed in real time from the practice system, and some information may be stored to support portal features. You remain in control of these settings and can update them at any time.
What information does the portal use? Do I have control over what information is available to me?
Vensa is designed using data-minimisation principles. It only processes — and where enabled by your practice and your own privacy settings, stores — the minimum information required to deliver portal services. Your privacy settings allow you to enable or disable access to different categories of information, and these settings can be changed at any time.
What privacy and security obligations apply?
Vensa operates under New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code, and applies safeguards appropriate for healthcare environments to protect patient information.
Security is treated as an ongoing operational responsibility, supporting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information used in delivering services.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact patients@vensa.com or your practice team.
Read more about how to make changes to your privacy settings here.