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. Central Gippsland Family Practice has developed this policy to protect patient privacy in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988(Cth).

The purpose of this privacy policy is to inform you of:

• The kinds of information that we collect and hold, which, as a medical practice, is likely to be health information for the purposes of the Privacy Act;
• How we collect and hold personal information;
• The purpose for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information;
• How you may access your personal information and seek the correction of that information;
• How you may complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with such a complaint;
• Whether we are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients;

 

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.

Patient consent for the transfer of health information to other providers or agencies is obtained via a signed transfer form, which is then incorporated into the patient medical record.

 

Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information?

In general, 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 kinds of personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes:

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• Medicare number , DVA number and other government identifiers where available
• Other health information about you, including:
• medical information including notes of your symptoms or diagnosis and the treatment given to you, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
• specialist reports and test results
• appointment and billing details
• prescriptions and other pharmaceutical purchases
• healthcare identifiers
• any other information about your race, sexuality or religion when collected by a health service provider

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. Please note that it is necessary for clients to properly identify themselves to ensure appropriate records are kept and for continuity of care to be provided.

 

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

1. From you directly when you provide your details to us. This might be via a face to face discussion, telephone conversation, registration form or online form
2. From your guardian or a person responsible for you
3. From third parties where the Privacy Act or other laws allow it – this may include, but is not limited to:
4. Other members of your treating team
5. Diagnostic and laboratory centres
6. Specialists
7. Hospitals or community health services
8. The My Health Record system
9. Electronic prescription services
10. Medicare or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs
11. Health insurance fund
12. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
13. We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email or SMS or communicate with us via social media or website.

 

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.

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.

Central Gippsland Family Practice will employ all reasonable endeavours to ensure that a patient’s personal information is not disclosed without their prior consent.

 

Are we likely to disclose your personal information overseas?

We may disclose your personal information to the following overseas recipients:

• any practice or individual who assist us in providing services (such as where you have come from overseas and had your health record transferred from overseas or have treatment continuing from an overseas provider)
• anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it and
• anyone else where authorised by law

 

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 from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes:

Electronic records

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

1. Practice computers and servers comply with the RACGP computer security checklist which is backed up daily.
2. Our records are all electronic. Access is password protected so that only staff with permissions can access the information.
3. Sensitive documentation is discarded using an appropriate method of destruction.
4. Electronic information is transmitted over the public network in an encrypted format using secure messaging software
5. Facsimile, printers and other electronic communication devices are located in areas that are only accessible to the general practitioners and other authorised staff.
6. Emails are sent via various nodes and are only sent if securely encrypted according to industry and best practice standards.

Paper records

Our practice does try to avoid paper files and all information relating to a patient is scanned into their file on our secure practice management system and then the paper file securely disposed of by shredding.

Visual records

Visual records such as photos are scanned into the patient records and form part of the electronic record. The original photo is securely disposed of by shredding.

Audio and Video recordings

Our practice does not participate in real time audio visual recording of consultations including recording of telehealth therefore there is no duplication or storage of audio or video recordings at Central Gippsland Family Practice.

All staff are required to sign confidentiality agreements upon commencement of employment.

 

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 addressed to our Practice Manager, Mrs Tracey Dastey and our practice will respond within 30 days.

Please note that there may be an administration fee of up to $25.00 associated with providing this information.

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 Practice Manager, Mrs Tracey Dastey.

 

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. Please send your complaint addressed to the Practice Manager, PO Box 1034 Moe 3825. Our practice will respond within 30 days.

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.

 

How do we use document automation technologies?

Our practice has implemented a clinical information system that uses document automation technology to assist in our workflows and internal systems. Our selected medical software utilises document automation technologies so that documents drafted by us, such as referrals, contain only your relevant personal and medical information.

These document automation technologies are established through our secure medical software. The software allows Central Gippsland Family Practice to set up automated, simple and computed variables. These automated variables are set up to strictly disclose only relevant medical information related to and required in the document selected.

Our medical software is user unique password protected. Authorised access via individual passwords has been granted on a role specific basis.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains applicable to current practice procedure and legal requirements.   Any changes that are made to our privacy policy will be updated on our website.

 

This privacy policy was last updated on 8th May 2025.