Mall Medical Centre 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 identify you correctly and to manage your health appropriately and respectfully. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as Medicare financial claiming and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• name, 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

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 new patient registration form.
   
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), My Health Record, eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
   
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
   
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 Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

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 (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).

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.

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.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.

Paper records, electronic records, visual records (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos)

Our practice stores all personal information securely. Electronic records are stored in our clinical software and are password protected, only accessible by senior members of staff. Paper records are kept offsite in a secure location. All members of staff and contractors (cleaners) have signed confidentiality agreements.

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 (“release of medical information” forms are available from the front desk) and our practice will respond within a reasonable time. Please allow 30 days for this process. Basic health summaries will not incur a fee, however if your GP feels more information is necessary or you are requesting more than a health summary a fee will be charged.

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. At every consultation, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information which can be done per phone or requested in writing to the practice manager, PO Box 3771, Alice Springs.

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy very 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

Attention: Practice Manager

PO Box 3771, Alice Springs.

Please allow 14 days for the practice to investigate the complaint and get back to you.

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 363 992.

Alternatively, you can raise any concerns with the health commission by Contacting:

NT Health Commission

PO Box 1344, Darwin NT 0801

Ph: 08 89991969

Fax: 08 8999 1828

Email: hcscc.omb@nt.gov.au

This policy is reviewed yearly