Privacy Policy – Central Gippsland Family Practice

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.

The purpose of this privacy policy is to clearly communicate how Central Gippsland Family Practice collects and manages personal information.

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.

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.

When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
Collection of information can occur through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record via shared health summary, event summary. Our practice participates in My Health record.
We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us via social media.

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.

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.

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

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 sofware 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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Central Gippsland Family Practice complies with the Australian Privacy legislation to protect your information. Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. We store your information in the form of

Electronic records

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

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

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.

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.

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 August 2023.