Privacy Policy

Web Privacy Policy

The types of personal information that we collect from you will depend on how you use our website. You can be certain that the information we receive about you will be treated as strictly confidential.

We do not collect or use any personal information on visitors to our website, through the use of third party cookies or other software or hardware techniques. Google Analytics uses first party cookies to anonymously and in aggregate report on visits to this website. This may include the number of hits the website receives and the domains from which this website is accessed. To determine what our users are interested in, we may also look at the frequency of search words used in connecting you to this website.

If you log onto the website and read or download information: our Internet Service Provider/Hosting Provider will record your server address, domain name, the date and time of your visit to our website, the pages viewed and the information downloaded. This information is used for statistical and website development purposes only.

It is our policy not to sell or pass on any personal information that you may have provided to us unless we have your express consent to do so. An exception to this is where we may be required by law to disclose certain information.

Clinical Privacy Policy

Introduction

Our practice is committed to best practice in relation to the management of information we collect. This practice has developed a policy to protect patient privacy in compliance with privacy legislation.

Our policy is to inform you of:

the kinds of personal information that we collect and hold;
how we collect and hold personal information;
the purposes 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;

What kinds of personal information do we collect?

The type of information we may collect and hold includes personal information about:

Your name, address, date of birth, email and contact details;
Medicare number and / or health insurance information;
Your health information and other sensitive information;
Previous/current medical history, including, where clinically relevant, a family medical history;
Previous/current drugs or treatments used by you.

How do we collect and hold personal information?

We will generally collect personal information:

from you directly when you provide your details to us;
from a person responsible for you;
from third parties where the Privacy Act or other law allows it;
from a health service provider involved in your treatment, who may or may not have referred you;
from your Work Cover insurer or employer related to your treatment.

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

In general, we may collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

to provide health services to you;
to communicate with you;
to comply with our legal obligations;
to help us manage our accounts and administrative services, including providing information to Workers Compensation Insurers, your health fund, Medicare and other organisations responsible for the financial aspects of your care;
where there is a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s life, health or safety, or serious threat to public safety.

How long are medical records kept?

We keep health information for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last visit by the patient, unless the patient is / was a child, in which case the record must be kept until the patient attains or would have attained 25 years of age.

How can you access and correct your personal information?

Subject to the exceptions set out in the Privacy Act, you may seek access to and correction of the personal information which we hold about you in accordance with our access policy. If a fee is charged for providing access, you will be advised of the cost in advance.

How can you make a privacy related complaint?

We will take reasonable steps to protect the security of your information and comply with our legal obligations. Our staff are trained and required to respect your privacy. We take reasonable steps to protect information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

If you have any questions about privacy-related issues or wish to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles or the handling of your personal information by us, please contact our Privacy Officer.

You may lodge your complaint in writing to:

Privacy Officer
Sydney Sports Medicine Centre
PO Box 3275
Rhodes NSW 2138

Any complaint will be investigated by the Privacy Officer and you will be notified of the making of a decision in relation to your complaint as soon as is practicable after it has been made, usually within 30 days.

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.

Updates to this Policy

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.