Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd is committed to ensuring that those who use our services are always treated with dignity and respect. We respect your right to privacy and safeguard your personal information. Personal information will only be disclosed to another party if your consent has been received beforehand, or if we are required or authorized to do so by law, or in a medical emergency.
We are legally required to follow detailed privacy procedures in order to be complaint with our contractual obligations to a range of government departments. You are always welcome to ask about the particular way in which your privacy is protected when you access a specific service.
Our whole organisation is governed by the sections of the Privacy Act 1988 that relate to the Private Sector. As we have not established a separate Privacy Code, we have developed our privacy policy around the requirements of the National Privacy Principles that are set out in the Privacy Act 1988. Our policy is also based on the Guidelines of the National Privacy Principles, and the Guidelines on Privacy in the Private Heath Sector that have been issued by the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.
Goolburri understands the impact on our reputation and the consumer sensitivities if breaches of information were to occur and has processes to notify individuals and the Commissioner about ‘eligible date breaches’ as per the NDB scheme in Part IIIC of the Privacy Act. The office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) can provide you with more information about your privacy rights on 1300 363 992 or at www.oaic.gov.au.
Principles and Procedures:
Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd has adopted the following principles and procedures.
Your personal information and the purpose of collecting it:
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 manager your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. Staff training).
We need to seek your consent before collecting personal information from you. The person from this organisation who first makes contact with you will seek your consent to collect certain information and will try to make sure that you are fully aware of the reason why we need to collect the information. If you fill out any form that contains personal information, it will be understood that you are consenting to the collection of this information by this organisation.
When it is not possible for people to exercise a valid consent to the collection or possible disclosure of their personal information, we will follow the guidelines issues by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to deal with this situation.
What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes yours:
- 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
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 your 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).
Under National Privacy Principle 8, you have the right to remain anonymous when you make contact with Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co, Ltd. If you choose not to disclose any personal information to us, we will need to discuss this with you, as it may make it difficult for us offer you effective services.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.
This information includes medical details, family information, name, address, employment and other demographic data, past medical and social history, current health issues and future medical care, Medicare number, accounts details and any health information such as a medical or personal opinion about a person’s health, disability or health status.
It includes the formal medical record whether written or electronic and information held or recorded on any other medium e.g. letter, fax, or electronically or information conveyed verbally.
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
Personal health information is kept where staff supervision is easily provided and kept out of view and access by the public e.g. not left exposed on the reception desk, in waiting room or other pubic areas; or left unattended in consulting or treatment rooms.
Practice computers and servers comply with the RACGP computer security checklist and we have a sound back up system and a contingency plan to protect from loss of data.
Care is taken that the general public cannot see or access computer screens that display information about other individuals. To minimize this risk automated screen savers are engaged.
Members of the practice team have different levels of access to patient health information. To protect the security of health information, GPs and other practice staff do not give their computer passwords to others in the team.
Reception and other Practice staff are ware that conversations in the main reception area can often be overheard in the waiting room as such staff should avoid discussing confidential and sensitive patient information in this area.
Whenever sensitive documentation is discarded the practice uses an appropriate method of destruction, shredding or computer drive, memory sticks, etc. are reformatted.
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 authorized by law (e.g. 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 (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification).
- During the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
- Goolburri users documented automation technologies, particularly so that only the relevant medical information is included in referral letters. That are the third party involved in the care. If a patient does not wish for certain information to be shown on the referral the patient must advise the doctor.
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.
How we use and protect your personal information:
Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd follows procedures to ensure that your personal information is secure, and unauthorized people cannot get access to it. These procedures include guidelines as to how long information is kept.
Legal requirements determine the time we must keep certain files. We will only disclose your personal information to someone else if we have sought your consent to do so, or if we are required or authorized to do so by law.
If we need to transfer any personal information about you to another country, we will abide by the requirements set out in National Privacy Principle Number 9, which regulates the transfer of information to another country. We will always seek your consent if it is necessary to send any of your personal information to another country.
In relation to children and young people, we respect their right to have a reasonable level of control over their personal information. However, much will depend on the age and maturity of the child or young person and the particular circumstances of the case.
Your right to gain access to the information held about you:
Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd endeavors to make sure that the personal information that we collect is accurate, complete and up to date.
Generally, you have the right to gain access to the personal information held about you by Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd. However, provisions in the Privacy Act 1988 may prevent this from happening every time. If it is not possible for us to make all or some of your information available to you, we will always explain why access may have been restricted and/or denied.
If you wish to gain access to the information Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd holds about you, you must fill out a request form. Staff will be able to help you with this. If your request is approved, a staff member must be present when you do so. You may ask for photocopies of the information, but the original information must not be removed from the premises.
If you have gained access to the personal information held about you by Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd and you believe the information needs to be corrected, you are entitled to inform us of what changes are necessary. The staff member help you will give you a form on which to write changes. This form will then be attached to your file, and appropriate records updated.
To make a privacy-related complaint or if you need further information about the management of your personal information:
Please contact Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co. Ltd if you wish to make a complaint or have further enquiries about any aspect of our management of your personal information.
You are also very welcome to make any suggestions that may assist us to provide the best possible protection of your personal information.
This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any legislative changes which may occur. You will be notified by virtue of the updated policy which will be available and/or provided at your appointment.
