Health agencies encouraged to ensure digital services are safe and reliable

The requirements also specify that organizations must govern the data they hold in line with data protection and use, privacy, social license, and Māori data sovereignty guidelines.

The Ministry of Health is encouraging health organizations to ensure the digital services they use are safe, secure, integrated and reliable, with the publication of minimum requirements for digital, data and technology services they're expected to meet.

The requirements also specify that organizations must govern the data they hold in line with data protection and use, privacy, social license, and Māori data sovereignty guidelines.

"We know many individual health agencies will use a wide range of technology from many different suppliers," says Shayne Hunter, Deputy Director-General Data and Digital.

"The requirements strongly signal a move to a more open approach where digital services are cloud-based, continually evolve and share data with other services – rather than working in isolation, or only working within an organization.

"An open approach, which is the general trend in many Government related sectors, encourages collaboration, reduces duplication and helps maximize existing resources.

"The requirements reflect the important role of standards and includes those that are already published and promoted – such as HISO standards and the Health Information Security Framework - alongside new requirements. It's useful to have these in one place and for them to be annually updated as the Ministry has committed to doing."