PRIVACY POLICY
Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which
includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which
we may share it with third parties.
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to
access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only
staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information
for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.
Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?
Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main
purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We
also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits
and accreditation, and business processes (eg staff training).
What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes your:
• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations,
social history, family history and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• healthcare identifiers
• health fund details.
Your ‘Patient Health Record’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact details, Medicare
number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details and etc as in our patient registration form. Medical
information may include medical history and any care you may need. GPs need information about your past and
present health in order to provide you with high-quality care. This defines your medical record. It is your
responsibility to update your personal details in your medical record. We request you contact our reception staff
to update your record in person whenever there is any change to make sure your information is accurate and
secure. We do not accept liability due to wrong information in your record leading to an unexpected outcome.
Dealing with us anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to
do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
1. When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic
information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
Information can also be collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions, My Health Record, eg
via Shared Health Summary, and Event Summary.
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS,
telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
4. In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is
because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information
from:
• your guardian or responsible person
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals,
community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
• your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans Affairs (as necessary).
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
• Our practice use referral templates that extract your personal information into referral letters through
document automation technologies, particularly so that only the relevant medical information is included
in referral letters.
• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or
information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this
policy
• with other healthcare providers
• when it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas)
• 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
• to assist in locating a missing person
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases
require mandatory notification)
• during the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (eg via Shared
Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of
providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal
information with any third party without your consent.
We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional
circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.
Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to
you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by
notifying our practice in writing.
Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our
patients through research and analysis of our patient data.
We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The
information is secure, patients cannot be identified, and the information is stored within Australia. You can
let our reception staff know if you do not want your information included.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms, such as paper records,
electronic records, visual records (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos), audio recordings.
Our practice stores all personal information securely. Patient’s electronic medical records are password
protected, backed up regularly and backed up offsite. Our practice operates using an antivirus software.
How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put
this request in writing and our practice will respond within 30 days. A fee of $30 pay be requested for those
with an extensive history at our practice
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not
accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by
our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and
you should make such requests in writing to info@cranbournemedical.com.au
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice?
We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns
you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.
You can contact our clinic via email info@cranbournemedical.com.au or call us on 9789 0108. Our mailing
address is 14/84 Everlasting Boulevard, Cranbourne West 3977. It should be expected within 30 days that
the clinic practice manager will contact the patient regarding their complaint.
You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before
they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
