Privacy Policy

Preamble

This Privacy Policy applies to Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinics’ use of any and all data collected in relation to (1) the use of its website, (2) email correspondence, and (3) the use of services provided by Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our qualified health professional 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/s 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 (e.g. 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.

[Note: The Privacy Act requires you to provide patients with the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, (APP 2) unless it is impracticable for you to do so].

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice/s 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 emailed or hand written registration form.
  2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. 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 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 (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)

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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

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

  • electronically using a proprietary patient management system
  • paper records
  • visual records records (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos),
  • audio

Our practice stores all personal information securely.  All electronic files are recorded and stored using password protected proprietary patient management software.  All Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinics’ staff are bound by confidentiality agreements and are conversant with this Privacy Policy.  All paper hard copy files are stored in a lockable filing room offsite from all practices.

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 via email and our practice will respond within a reasonable time (30 days).

Patients will not be charged for making the request, however any costs for complying with the request will be the responsibility of the requesting patient.

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. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to your Perpetual Wellbeing health care practitioner.

Closed Circuit TeleVision (CCTV)

Perpetual Wellbeing premises at 101 Verney Rd W, Graceville QLD 4075 Australia are protected by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).  We use 24-hour video surveillance on a CCTV system. The system records activity throughout the reception and dispensary. CCTV monitoring is to provide a safe and secure work environment for our staff, patients, contractors or other visitors. Only the areas specified are under camera surveillance, which is used to deter offensive and or unlawful behaviour and to aid in the identification of offenders.

 

Recordings may be provided as evidence to assist the Police or other law enforcement agency with investigations or enquiries. CCTV is not used to monitor performance of staff but may be used in the investigation or enquiry into staff misconduct allegations.

Footage from CCTV is recorded and stored digitally within CCTV software, and only approved staff and management may access or view these files. Copies of CCTV footage will be retained and stored in a secure area.

Third party viewing of footage may occur in the following conditions:

  • Occupational health and safety issues
  • Unlawful or suspected unlawful acts
  • When otherwise lawfully required

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. All privacy-related complaints must be directed to Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic PO Box 2188 East Graceville 4075.  Alternatively via email to info@perpetualwellbeing.com.au and our practice will respond within a reasonable time (30 days).

You may also contact the 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.

Privacy and our website and newsletter

Your acceptance of our Privacy Policy is deemed to occur upon your first use of this website and/or your first email correspondence with Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic. If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using this website immediately.

Subscription to our newsletters

Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic informs its clients regularly by means of a newsletter about enterprise offers. The enterprise’s newsletter will be received by the data subject if (1) the data subject has a valid e-mail address and (2) the data subject registers for the newsletter shipping, either via our website form or via a client intake form during an initial consultation.

During the registration for the newsletter via our website, we also store the IP address of the computer system assigned by the Internet service provider (ISP) and used by the data subject at the time of the registration, as well as the date and time of the registration. The collection of this data is necessary in order to understand the (possible) misuse of the e-mail address of a data subject at a later date, and it therefore serves the aim of the legal protection of the controller.

The personal data collected as part of a registration for the newsletter will only be used to send our newsletter.  There will be no transfer of personal data collected by the newsletter service to third parties. The subscription to our newsletter may be terminated by the data subject at any time. The consent to the storage of personal data, which the data subject has given for shipping the newsletter, may be revoked at any time. For the purpose of revocation of consent, a corresponding link is found in each newsletter. It is also possible to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

Newsletter tracking

Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic uses statistical analysis of the success or failure of online marketing campaigns. Based on this Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic may see if and when an e-mail was opened by a data subject, and which links in the e-mail were called up by data subjects. Such personal data collected in the tracking pixels contained in the newsletters are stored and analysed by the controller in order to optimize the shipping of the newsletter, as well as to adapt the content of future newsletters even better to the interests of the data subject. These personal data will not be passed on to third parties.

Contact possibility via the website

The website of Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic contains information that enables communication with us, which also includes a general e-mail address. If a person contacts Perpetual Wellbeing Natural Health Clinic by e-mail or via a contact form, the personal data transmitted by the data subject are automatically stored. Such personal data is transmitted on a voluntary basis and is only stored for the purpose of processing or contacting the data subject. There is no transfer of this personal data to third parties.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. Patients are encouraged to check our website and/or Privacy Policy documents displayed in all clinics regularly to keep up to date with any amendments.