Privacy Policy

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.

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.

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).

The information we will collect about you includes:

• 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.

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 authorized by law to only deal with identified individuals. There may be, however, consequences if you do not identify yourself, for example, you may not be able to claim a Medicare or health fund rebate.

Our practice will collect your personal information:

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 through My Health Record. Information uploaded by other healthcare providers to the system, for example, a shared health summary, a discharge summary or an event summary may be collected by us. Please see My Health Record Policy for more detail.
3. We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email or SMS, telephone us or make an online appointment.
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 Veteran’s Affairs (as necessary).

Burwood Family Doctors is committed to ensuring that personal information collected by it is dealt with in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles contained in the Information Privacy Act 2009 and the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Burwood Family Doctors uses CCTV systems for 24-hour video surveillance, which monitors and records activity in the following areas:

• Front entrance
• Carpark
• Short corridor
• Long corridor
• Back door
• Waiting room

The purpose of this monitoring and recording is to provide a safe and secure work environment for Burwood Family Doctors staff and visitors as well as members of the general public. Video cameras are only used in the areas specified in this privacy notice.

Video surveillance is being used to deter any form of aggressive, harmful or unlawful behaviour and to assist in identifying offenders. Should an incident occur, the recordings may be provided as evidence to law enforcement authorities such as the police to assist with investigations or enquiries. CCTV and video footage is not used to monitor staff performance. However, it may be used to investigate allegations of serious misconduct by staff.

The images recorded by the cameras are securely stored as digital files within the CCTV software, which is  accessible to only the practice manager and Dr. Pau. The digital files are stored for a maximum of two weeks after which they are programmed to be automatically erased unless required by law enforcement authorities. Images are viewed only by authorised staff (practice manager and Dr. Pau). Controlled access to the secured footage is strictly maintained. Copies of recordings will not be made for other purposes unless they are relevant to the purpose of surveillance or are required by law. Any copies made are stored in a securely lockable area.

Circumstances under which recordings will be shown to a third party include:

• unlawful acts (police)
• occupational health and safety complaints (eg Workplace Health & Safety Office)
• when otherwise required by law (eg court order).

For further information, please contact the Practice Manager, on (02) 9744 5133

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 ePresctiption, MyHealth Record (eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).

Only people that 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 will not use your identifiable personal information for medical research purposes without obtaining your consent.

Deidentified information may be collected by our local Primary Health Network in order to improve and plan for health services in our community. If you do not want your deidentified information to be collected, you have the right to inform our surgery of this.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms, for example, as paper records, as electronic records or as visual (X-rays, CT scans and photos).

Our practice stores all personal information securely. Paper records are stored in secure filing cabinets behind reception desk and inside the office room away from public area in a secure building. Documents such as medical records, paper correspondence, paper results and any patient personal details requiring disposal are done so securely by shredding either onsite or by an accredited shredding company.

Electronic records are stored in protected information systems, online, onsite and offline, offsite to maximise information safety. These systems require password access and limited access applies to different users. For example, access to the My Health Record system is limited to access by doctors only. Electronic records in old computers are deleted from computer drives by our IT company prior to disposal. All computers have virus protection software that are up-to-date and reviewed annually by our IT company. We have a Data Breach Action Plan in place for all staff to respond promptly and effectively to unexpected data breaches.

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 or by filling in our “Request for personal health information” form and our practice will respond within 30 days. If a fee is charged for providing access, you will be advised of the cost in advance.

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 your personal information held by our practice is correct and up-to-date. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests either verbally or writing to our privacy officer.

Your request for your medical care and health information to be transferred to another medical practitioner is respected by our practice. Your signed consent is required and there may be payment involved for administrative cost such as photocopying and secure postage.

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. Please contact our Privacy Officer for any questions about privacy related issues in person or on (02) 9744 5133. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. Our mailing address is 90 Burwood Rd, Burwood, NSW 2134. Any complaint will be investigated by the Privacy Officer and you will be notified of a decision in relation to your complaint as soon as is practicable after it has been made, usually within 30 days.

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (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 336 002.

This policy will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and other necessary developments.