Health Minister Simeon Brown has asked the Ministry of Health to review the response to a cybersecurity breach involving patient information held in the ManageMyHealth portal, because people need confidence their health data is protected.

ManageMyHealth is a privately operated patient portal used by some general practices around New Zealand.

It holds medical information and lets patients communicate with health professionals.

“I know this breach will be very concerning to the many New Zealanders who use ManageMyHealth, and we need assurances around the protection and security of people’s health data,” Brown said.

The review is set to look at what caused the incident, whether the data protections and response were adequate, and what improvements are needed to prevent similar incidents.

Brown said he has written to the Director-General of Health asking that the review begins no later than 30 January.

He said an Incident Management Team has been meeting daily to coordinate advice and support across government agencies, and he wants that immediate work to stay the focus.

The Ministry is expected to develop Terms of Reference, with input from the Government Chief Digital Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre.

Health New Zealand has advised there has been no impact on its systems.

It is working with primary care providers through General Practice New Zealand to clarify the potential impact on patients and general practices.

General practices remain open and providing services.

For Hibiscus Coast locals who use ManageMyHealth, the key point is that a formal review is now being set up, alongside the ongoing incident response.

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