The Capital Cosmetic & Laser Clinic – National Privacy Principles

Your Privacy is Our Business

The provision of quality health care is our principal concern.  It requires a doctor-patient relationship of trust and confidentiality.  Your doctor regards patient health information as confidential and will only collect this information with patient consent.

A patient’s personal information is handles in accordance with this practice’s privacy policy and consistent with the privacy legislation.  Patients are entitled to know what personal information is held about them; how and under what circumstances they may have access to it; why it is held; its use; to whom and under what circumstances it may be disclosed; when consent is required for these purposes; and how it is stored.

Every effort will be made to discuss these matters with patients at the time personal health information is collected from patients attending this practice.  Because there will be occasions when it is not practicable to make patients aware of these matters at the time of collection this brochure is designed to outline how this practice endeavours to protect the privacy of patients’ personal health information.

The Federal Privacy Act incorporates ten National Privacy Principles (NPPs) that set out the rules for the handling of personal information in the private sector.  In the interests of providing quality health care this practice has developed a privacy policy that complies with the privacy legislation and the NPPs.

Further information

Further information about an individual’s privacy rights can be obtained from the Federal Privacy Commissioner’s Office, details below. 

Collection

It is necessary for us to collect personal information from patients and sometimes other associated with their health care in order to attend to their health needs and for associated administrative purposes.

Sensitive information

Health information is “sensitive information” for the purposes of privacy legislation.  This means that generally patients’ consent will be sought to collect health information that is necessary to make an accurate medical diagnosis, prescribe and administer appropriate treatment and to be proactive in patient health care.

Use and disclosure

A patient’s personal health information is used or disclosed for purposes directly related to their health care and in ways that are consistent with a patient’s expectations.  In the interests of the highest quality and continuity of health care this may include sharing information with other health care providers who comprise a patient’s medical team from time to time.  In addition there are circumstances when information has to be disclosed without patient consent, such as:

• Emergency situations
• By law, doctors are sometimes required to disclose information for public interest reasons, e.g. mandatory reporting of some communicable diseases.
• It may be necessary to disclose information about a patient to fulfil a medical indemnity insurance obligation.
• Provision of information to Medicare or private health funds, if relevant, for billing and medical rebate purposes.

In general a patient’s health information will not be used for any other purposes without their consent.

There are some necessary purpose of collection for which information will be used beyond providing health care, such as professional accreditation, quality assessments, clinical auditing, billing and so forth.

Data quality

All patient information held by The Capital Cosmetic & Laser Clinic relevant to the functions of providing health care will be maintained in a form that is accurate, complete and up to date.

Data security

The storage, use and, where necessary, transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects patient privacy.  It is necessary for medical practices to keep patient information after a patient’s last attendance for as long as is required by law or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements.

Openness

The Capital Cosmetic & Laser Clinic has made this and other material available to patients to inform them of our policies on management of personal information.  On request this practice will let patients know, generally, what sort of personal information we hold, for what purposes, and how we collect, hold, use and disclose that information.

Access and correction

Patients may request access to their personal health information held by this practice.

• Where necessary, patients will be given the opportunity to amend any personal information held that is incorrect.
• There are some circumstances in which access is restricted, and in these cases reasons for denying access will be explained.
• A charge will be payable where the practice incurs costs in providing access.
• The Capital Cosmetic & Laser Clinic acknowledges the right of children to privacy of their health information.  Based on the professional judgement of the doctor and consistent with the law, it might at times be necessary to restrict access to personal health information by parents or guardians.  Upon request a patient’s health information held by this practice will be made available to another health service provider.

Identifiers

These are the numbers, letters or symbols that are used to identify patients with or without the use of a name (e.g. Medicare numbers).  We will limit the use of identifiers assigned to patients by Commonwealth Government agencies to those uses necessary to fulfil our obligations to those agencies.

Anonymity

A patient has a right to be dealt with anonymously, provided this is lawful and practicable.  However, in the medical context this is not likely to be practicable or possible for Medicare and insurance rebate purposes.  It could also be dangerous to the patient’s health.

Transborder data flows

Individual’s privacy is protected Australia-wide by privacy laws.  We will take steps to protect patient privacy if information is to be sent interstate or outside Australia.

Complaints

It is important to us that your expectations about the way in which we handle your information are the same as ours.  

Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issues related to the privacy of your personal information with your doctor.

If you still feel dissatisfied you may complain to the Federal Privacy Commissioner whose contact details are:

Level 8 Piccadilly Tower
133 Castlereagh Street,
Sydney NSW 2000

GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042

Privacy Hotline: 1300 363 992

Website: www.privacy.gov.au