Two major reports that yesterday found "systemic failure" in ACC's privacy-protection measures have vindicated concerns long raised by Otago ACC claimants, Dunedin ACC campaigner Dr Denise Powell said yesterday.
Dr Powell, who is the president of Acclaim Otago, a claimant support group, had earlier made submissions in person and in writing to a review of ACC's privacy practices initiated by Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff.
Dr Powell's name and those of about 470 Otago ACC claimants were among the thousands included in an email mistakenly sent to Auckland resident Bronwyn Pullar in a major privacy breach late last year.
Inquiry findings released yesterday had "validated the concern" that Acclaim Otago had long raised about how private information was being gathered, stored and protected by ACC, Dr Powell said.
The findings of the Independent Review of ACC's Privacy and Security of Information, and the Auditor-general's inquiry into aspects of ACC board-level governance, were "positive" and showed a "major shake-up" in ACC privacy practices was needed, she said.
Dr Powell, who is a member of ACC's national community liaison body, the Consumers' Outlook Group, said these privacy concerns had been raised at a group meeting about two years ago but had not been acted on.
Hundreds of Otago people had been affected by the email mistakenly sent to Ms Pullar, but ACC now had the chance to make the big changes required and rebuild trust among claimants, she said.
