Your referring doctor or specialist will send a referral form to our clinic, which is reviewed and triaged by Dr. Krys Milburn.

Once your referral has been reviewed, one of our friendly front-of-house team members will call you to advise which treatments have been recommended and help schedule a suitable appointment time.

Please note that you cannot self-refer to our clinic; you must first see your GP or another specialist.

The referral process can take up to seven days.

We run private clinics with multiple consulting rooms. Much like your GP’s office, you will first be greeted by our reception team and asked to review and sign our paperwork, including any relevant consent forms.

You may then see one of our nurses (often for an ECG), our cardiologist Dr. Krys Milburn (for a consultation), and/or one of our sonographers (for an echocardiogram or stress echocardiogram). In some cases, services may be split over multiple appointments. See a detailed view of our services here.

At the end of your appointment, our front-of-house team will provide you with an invoice. Payment is expected at the time of your appointment unless you have full Southern Cross insurance cover.

See the ‘Payments and Insurance’ section below for further information.

For most consultations, there are no clothing restrictions.

If you are undergoing a Stress Test (Exercise Tolerance Test) or a Stress Echocardiogram, which involves physical activity, please wear appropriate exercise clothing, including a cotton t-shirt and suitable running or walking shoes.

We will ask women to remove tight or underwire bras, as these can interfere with testing. A loose cotton sports bra will be provided.

We also ask patients to avoid nylon-based t-shirts, as these can generate static and affect test results.

Gowns and water will be provided as needed.

Please review this section prior to your appointment to understand our invoicing and payment policy.

Payment Policy

We have set pricing for our services, reviewed annually and subject to change. Payment is expected at the time of your appointment. We accept cash, credit cards, and EFTPOS/debit cards. Pricing details will be provided in your booking confirmation email.

Southern Cross Cover

South Island Heart is an affiliated provider with Southern Cross Health Insurance. If you have full cardiac cover, we can liaise with Southern Cross and invoice them directly. We will request your membership number when your appointment is booked, confirm your personal details, and seek prior approval. This process takes up to five working days.

· If approved: No further action is required from you.

· If declined: We will notify you so you can choose whether to proceed with your appointment (payment will be required).

· If TBA (To Be Advised): This means more information is required. We will assist you in gathering and submitting this.

If you have partial cover (e.g. 80%), or surgical-only cover, you may need to pay the balance yourself. If you are unsure about your cover, please contact our team early so we can assist you.

Other Insurers

If you are covered by another provider, you will need to pay upfront and claim reimbursement from your insurer.

ACC Cover

If you have an accepted ACC claim, your appointment is generally covered. However, Holter Monitors and Blood Pressure Monitors are not covered by ACC, and you will need to pay for these. Without an accepted claim or claim number, patients must pay at the time of appointment and seek reimbursement independently.

Surgical Cover at a Private Hospital

If surgery is required, Dr. Milburn will discuss costs with you at your consultation. Unless you have pre-approval from Southern Cross, full payment is due seven days prior to surgery. Occasionally, treatment plans change during surgery. If this affects cost, we will provide a revised invoice or refund within seven days.

To help with scheduling, we send a confirmation email at the time of booking and a reminder text 24–48 hours prior to your appointment. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please contact us as early as possible.

Our cancellation policy is:

· More than 48 hours’ notice: No charge; we will assist with rebooking.

· Less than 48 hours’ notice: A cancellation fee of up to 50% of the appointment cost may apply.

· No show without notice: You may be charged in full.

· Repeated cancellations or no-shows: We may refer you back to your GP or specialist (noted as DNA – Did Not Attend).

Thank you for working with us to respect everyone’s time.

All patients at South Island Heart are treated with care, dignity, and respect. You are welcome to bring a chaperone to your appointment or request a nurse chaperone. Please let reception know your preference when you arrive.

South Island Heart is a private healthcare provider and when you register as a patient of our clinic, we are committed to safeguarding your privacy. By registering as a patient, you consent to us accessing and storing your information as detailed below.

Please note that your personal and health information will only be collected where it is necessary to do so. Only staff who are required to access your information will be able to do so. The information collected will help us provide you with the best medical treatment and/or advice.

We comply with the Privacy Act 2020, the Information Privacy Principles, and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. You can read more about these laws on the website of the NZ Privacy Commission.

As a patient of South Island Heart, we will collect both personal and health-based information, including your health history, from you. This will be confirmed over the phone at the time of your appointment booking, reconfirmed on arrival at one of our clinics, and/or with the Doctor, nurse, or sonographer during an appointment at our clinic.

What We Collect

· Personal details (name, DOB, address, contact info)

· NHI Number

· Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations.

· Social history, family history and risk factors

· Insurance and funding information

· Referrer information

Third-Party Information

We may request your information from:

· Medical practitioners (e.g. your GP or other specialist) or external agencies (e.g. laboratories)

· Your insurer (e.g. Southern Cross)

· Shared medical systems (e.g. HealthOne)

· Any third party authorised by you, such as a family or friend who act as your support

We may not be able to provide care if you withhold necessary information.

Information Sharing

We share your information only when:

· Third parties who work with our practice for business purposes

· With other healthcare providers

· When it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent

· When it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)

· To establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim

· To assist in locating a missing person

· For confidential dispute resolution process when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification) while providing medical services

Note, only authorised personnel can access your information.

Storage & Access

Your records are stored securely in both paper and electronic formats. Though we use robust systems, electronic transfers always carry minimal risk. By law, health records are retained for 10 years.

You can request access to your records by emailing: reception@southislandheart.co.nz Include your name, DOB, NHI number, address, and specific details. We will respond within 20 working days (or inform you of any delay).

If any information is inaccurate or outdated, please contact us to update your records.

We take privacy complaints and concerns very seriously. If you believe we have breached your privacy, please email: kat@southislandheart.co.nz (General Manager)

Or post to: South Island Heart Forte 2, Level 1 132 Peterborough Street Christchurch Central

You may also contact the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) at their website: www.hdc.org.nz.

HealthOne is a South Island based secure electronic record that allows registered healthcare providers directly involved in your healthcare, to quickly access information such as test results, allergies, medications, GP summaries and hospital information. HealthOne strictly adheres to the principles of the Privacy Act 2020 as well as the Rules set out in the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. Access is only possible via an approved highly secure healthcare information network which is regularly audited and tested. Privacy auditing is used to check that only those directly involved in your care are accessing your information.

To find out more about HealthOne healthone.org.nz/

Please note that you are entitled to restrict the sharing of your healthcare records by contacting 0508 837 872 or emailing privacy@pegasus.health.nz

At South Island Heart, we take the rights of our patients, along with any complaints they have, very seriously. Should you wish to make a complaint about the care or treatment you have received from our team, you can do the following:

· Speak to us directly

· Submit a written complaint

· Contact the HDC (www.hdc.org.nz)

How We Handle Complaints

· We will listen too or read the correspondence relating to your complaint

· Record the information you are providing to us in your complaint, including how the information was received, using our internal concerns and complaints form

· Our General Manager conduct an internal review including seeking further information from staff/contractors/third parties, as required

· Either the General Manager or Managing Director will contact you, the patient, to try and resolve the issue/complaint as addressed

· When the complaint has formally been reviewed, we will send you the complaints review letter, detailing the results of the investigation and actions required

· You can appeal if not happy with the complaint process or may choose to contact the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC).

Your rights as a patient:

The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (the Code) establishes the rights of consumers, and the obligations and duties of providers to comply with the Code. It is a regulation under the Health and Disability Act. Access the full code here: The Code – HDC

Your 10 Rights (from the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights):

1. Right to be treated with respect

2. Right to freedom from discrimination, coercion, harassment, and exploitation

3. Right to dignity and independence

4. Right to services of an appropriate standard

5. Right to effective communication

6. Right to be fully informed

7. Right to make an informed choice and give informed consent

8. Right to support

9. Rights in respect to teaching or research

10. Right to complain