III. Information for District Health Boards
The Public Records Act 2005 provides a new recordkeeping framework for public offices, including District Health Boards (DHBs). It stipulates two core recordkeeping requirements, which DHBs need to comply with:
DHBs must create and maintain full and accurate records. These must also be accessible over time.
DHBs must obtain the authority of the Chief Archivist in order to dispose of public records. Disposal is the archival term for the ultimate fate of records, and usually means their destruction or transfer to Archives New Zealand.
The Public Records Act also clarified the position of DHBs’ records, with the result that the Act formally covers all records created or received by DHBs, including patient files.
In order to assist District Health Boards, Archives New Zealand commissioned the development of a General Disposal Authority (GDA) especially for their records. This is an ongoing authority and is available to all DHBs across the country. A GDA works by identifying classes of records created across different public offices and then authorising their disposal. The DHB GDA incorporates the relevant sections of the four previously published GDAs. Accompanying the GDA is an Implementation Guide.
DHBs may use this GDA without further authorisation from the Chief Archivist. If individual DHBs do not wish to use the GDA, they can apply for a separate disposal authority, but this will need to be separately approved by the Chief Archivist.
For further information on the GDA or advice on developing a separate authority, please contact the Appraisal Section at appraisal@archives.govt.nz.
District Health Boards Appraisal Report
The appraisal report provides detailed information on both the clinical and non-clinical classes of records. It also outlines the criteria used to determine the retention and destruction actions in the GDA.
District Health Boards Appraisal Report — 2006 
(165kb)
District Health Boards GDA
The GDA covers all main record types and formats created or received by District Health Boards. The authority divides these record types in 21 main classes with various sub-classes.
District Health Boards General Disposal Authority (DA262) (244kb)
District Health Boards GDA Implementation Guide
This guide is designed primarily for those staff responsible for the management and implementation of the GDA. It is divided into two parts — the main guide, plus supporting information in the form of three appendices.
District Health Boards GDA Implementation Guide — 2006 (197kb)
Further support material
The Archives New Zealand Continuum website contains resources to assist DHBs with their recordkeeping responsibilities, including the management of the GDA.
These resources include:
recordkeeping publications — the Continuum Resource Kit contains standards, guides and fact sheets to enable good recordkeeping and compliance with the Public Records Act. These can be downloaded from our recordkeeping publications page;
general recordkeeping advice can be sought from our good recordkeeping page;
advice on transfer and destruction, and on how to apply access restrictions to particular records can be sought from our transfer of public archives page;
advice on records preservation and storage can be sought from our preservation and storage page.