Current as at Sept 2023

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, 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.

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.

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 New patient registration.

2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. This may be done via electronic transfer of prescriptions (eRx), My Health Record, Shared Health Summary or Discharge Summary. You may opt out of this.

3. 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 in the event of an emergency

• 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 may be required to share your personal information by digital transfer or email:

• 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 de-identified 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 in our practice software in electronic records or visual records (X-rays, CT scans, videos and images).

Our practice stores all personal information securely such as with the use of passwords, secure cabinets, confidentiality agreements with all staff and contractors.

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 to our practice staff so that our practice may respond within a reasonable time. 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 our practice manager at shurstvilleprac@gmail.com.

Can you request results or information via Email from the doctor or reception?

Our clinical email (clinical@southhurstvillegp.com.au) is only used for correspondence out from our practitioners to patients, or from reception with the consent of the treating doctors. The email is only monitored within business hours 8:30-5:30pm Monday to Friday and is not to be used to fulfill patient requests. If you are in an emergency situation, please dial 000 or attend your nearest hospital or after hours service. 

If you require anything further, please arrange an appointment online at: https://www.hotdoc.com.au/medical-centres/south-hurstville-NSW-2221/south-hurstville-family-practice/doctors  Thank you.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with standards.