Newport Doctor Privacy Policy

Current as of: 7th September 2018

 

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. This practice has developed a policy in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

  • names, date of birth, addresses, contact details and email
  • medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
  • Medicare number (where available) , DVA number and other Government identifiers for identification and claiming purposes
  • Your appointment and billing details
  • Your prescriptions and other pharmaceutical purchases
  • Your genetic information
  • Any other information about your race, religion or sexuality

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. This can be from you directly, via face to face discussion, telephone conversation, registration form.
  2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.

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:

  • 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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Our staff are trained and required to respect and protect your privacy. We take reasonable steps to protect information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.

  • Our staff sign confidentiality agreements
  • We store our records electronically and our computers comply with RACGP security checklist
  • Our practice has document retention and destruction policies
  • All computers are accessed by individual secure passwords
  • Members of our team have different levels of access to patient health information.
  • We have a back up system to protect the practice from loss of data.

Overseas disclosure

We do not disclose your personal information to any overseas transcription services, overseas based cloud storage or any overseas practice or individual who assists us in providing services unless you authorise us to disclose it.

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 our practice will respond within 30 days

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.

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 normally respond within 30 days.

You may also contact the OAIC, if you are dissatisfied with our response Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Postal address:

GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001

Phone: 1300 363 992.

Policy review statement

This policy will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations. Updates will be displayed at our reception.

Contact for privacy related issues

Practice manager – Newport Doctor

354 Barrenjoey Road
Newport NSW 2106

Phone: 9997 4441