About Us

CareWise Health Australia is a group of medical clinics that are owned and operated by doctors. We continue to expand and improve the services at our centres. We are mainly located in the West and North of Melbourne. 

Our model is to establish larger clinics with the capacity to provide excellent general practice care to a large local patient base. Doctors at the clinics, allied health providers and clinic staff are thriving to provide optimal patient care. Individual general practitioners are encouraged to develop their own areas of interest and expertise.

CareWise Health Australia looks to develop a strong and beneficial working relationship with each individual doctor, specialist, allied health provider and nurse.

ERROL STREET MEDICAL CENTRE

PRIVACY POLICY

Current as of January 2023

Introduction

This privacy policy is to provide information on how a patient’s personal information (including 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 a patient registers at our practice, they provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide them with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see their personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from patients 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 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.

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 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 registration. 
2. During providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. 
3. 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 when we use Health Professional Online Services to check eligibility for Medicare card and update Australian Immunisation Registry. 
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 Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary). 

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 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, and 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 while 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 use referral templates that extract your personal information into referral letters through document automation technologies, particularly so that only the relevant medical information is included in referral letters. In addition, we may electronically send your information to service providers via accepted secure messaging systems.

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. 

 How do we store and protect your personal information?

Our practice is considered paperless and has systems in place to protect the privacy, security, quality, and integrity of the personal health information held electronically.  

All clinical staff have access to a computer to document clinical care. For medico legal reasons, and to provide evidence of items billed in the event of a Medicare audit, staff, especially nurses always log in under their own passwords to document care activities they have undertaken. 

Our practice ensures that our practice computers and servers comply with the RACGP computer security checklist and that: 

• Computers are only accessible via individual password access to those in the practice team who have appropriate levels of authorisation 
• Computers have screensavers or other automated privacy protection devices are enabled to prevent unauthorised access to computers 
• Servers are backed up and checked at frequent intervals, consistent with a documented business continuity plan
• Back up information is stored in a secure off-site environment 
• Computers are protected by antivirus software that is installed and updated regularly
• Computers connected to the internet are protected by appropriate hardware/software firewalls.

 How to access and correct personal information at our practice?

Information Access

A patient may make a request verbally at the practice, via telephone or in writing eg fax, email or letter. No reason is required to be given.  The request is referred to the patient's doctor or delegated Privacy Officer. 

A Request for Personal Health Information form is completed to ensure correct processing. This practice endeavours to acknowledge requests within 14 days and to complete all requests within 30 days. 

Information Correction

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.

Our practice must correct this information after receiving a written request from the patient and acknowledgement of request form will be provided to the patient.  Corrections are attached to the original health record.

This practice endeavours to acknowledge requests within 14 days and to complete all requests within 30 days. 

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. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.

The patients can send their complaints letter addressed to:

Practice Manager
Errol Street Medical Centre
L1, 65 Errol Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
T: 03 9329 7011

This practice endeavours to acknowledge complaints within 14 days and to complete all requests within 30 days. 

Wherever possible, we encourage to resolve complaints directly with us and if it is not resolved, the patient can the Health Services Commissioner (HSC). It is an independent statutory authority established to receive and resolve complaints about health service providers.  The HSC also protects the privacy of and your right of access to your health information held by any person or organisation in Victoria, and their service is free and confidential. 

Information for patients:

• You will be asked to give details about your complaint. The HSC decides whether to approve or decline the complaint.  You will be told of the decision soon after we receive your complaint.
• Your complaint needs to be in writing, and we can help you with this. It will be sent to the person or organisation asking for a reply.  We ask for a reply within 2 weeks, but some cases can take longer.
• They may respond to us or directly to you with a copy to us.
• If the response does not satisfy your concerns, we ask you to tell us promptly why you were dissatisfied.  We will talk to you to see if there is anything further that can be achieved, what your options are, including conciliation (confidential negotiation) of your concerns which may include claims    for damages or remedial treatment.
• You may be asked to provide evidence to support your complaint. You may substantiate your claims by obtaining reports from current treating practitioners, copies of hospital records etc.  You should collect evidence as soon as possible if you believe you have been harmed by a treatment.
• Once the issues have been addressed to your satisfaction, or the HSC decides that nothing further can be achieved, you and the person or organisation will be notified in writing that the file has been closed.
• A person cannot be penalised because of complaining to the HSC.  It is an offence to threaten, intimidate, persuade, or attempt to persuade another person not to complain to the HSC.

Alternatively, patients can contact Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Generally, the OAIC will require patients to give them time to respond before they will investigate. 

For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992. 

Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly (at least every two years) to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. The patients will be informed of changes through our website and sign boards.