61 Eramosa Road West
Somerville Victoria 3912
Telephone: 5970 7777

Eramosa Family Medical Centre Privacy Policy

June 2016
Reviewed March 2019

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, and the circumstances in which we
may share it with third parties.

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:

  • 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.

How do we collect your personal information?

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.
Information can also be collected through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), MyHealth
Record/PCEHR system, eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS,
telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
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
  • 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)

Who do we share your personal information with?
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 Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP),
    MyHealth Record/PCEHR system (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 you provide consent or under
exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law.
Our practice may, from time to time, use your personal information for promoting our health services to you.
You may opt-out at any time by notifying our practice.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.
Including electronic and paper records and as visual including x-rays, scans videos and photos.
Our practice stores all hardcopy and electronic personal information securely. We have measures in place to
protect stored information including password protection, firewalls, secured storage areas and confidentiality
agreements for 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 and our practice will respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply for the cost of
complying with the request for information. No fee will be charged for making the request.
Our practice will takes 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 in writing to the Practice Manager, 61 Eramosa Road West, Somerville. 3912

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 to: The Practice Manager, 61 Eramosa Road West, Somerville 3912. We will then attempt
to resolve it within 30 days.
You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. 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.
You can also contact the Office of the Health Services Commissioner Victoria – 1300 582 113

Policy review statement

This policy will be reviewed regularly and a copy of the current privacy policy is displayed on the notice board
in the waiting room. A copy is available from reception.