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
As part of our accreditation standards we will ask for three identifiers to ensure we are assisting the correct patient via phone and when you arrive at the clinic, these are Name, Date of Birth & Address.
Patient Consent
Why and when your consent is necessary?
When you register as a patient of Floreat Surgery, 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. We require your consent to collect and use information about you. You can amend your consent at any time, by speaking with our Practice Manager or your treating doctor or nurse.
Every employee of this practice is aware of the privacy policy and has signed a privacy statement as part of their terms and conditions of employment. This privacy statement continues to be binding on employees even after their employment has terminated.
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.
Please discuss this with your doctor or the Practice Manager to arrange.
Your Information.
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. This includes information which may 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, send us an email or SMS, 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 health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms:
o as paper records, locked in a secure filing system
o as electronic records which are password protected
o as visual – x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos
o as audio recordings.
Our practice stores all personal information securely and all staff have signed privacy agreements.
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 wherever possible and our practice will respond within a reasonable time. Depending on the request and time involved, there may be up to a 30-day timeframe and some costs may be involved. We will notify you of any costs at the time of request.
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.
Information Use & Disclosure
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share 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 providing medical services, through eTP, 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.
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.
Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our patients through research and analysis of our patient data.
We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, patients cannot be identified, and the information is stored within Australia.
You can let our reception staff know if you do not want your information included.
Records and Security
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms:
o as paper records, locked in a secure filing system
o as electronic records which are password protected
o as visual – x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos
o as audio recordings.
Our practice stores all personal information securely and all staff have signed privacy agreements.
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 wherever possible and our practice will respond within a reasonable time. Depending on the request and time involved, there may be up to a 30-day timeframe and some costs may be involved. We will notify you of any costs at the time of request.
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.
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. Please contact the Practice Manager directly on (08) 8384 4811 or write to:
The Practice Manager
Floreat Surgery
194 Main South Road
Morphett Vale SA 5162
You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
Privacy and our website
A cookie is a small file placed in your web browser that collects information about your web browsing behaviour. Use of cookies allows a website to tailor its configuration to your needs and preferences. Cookies do not access information stored on your computer or any Personal Data (e.g. name, address, email address or telephone number). Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can choose to reject cookies by changing your browser settings. This may, however, prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.
Our website uses cookies to analyse website traffic, provide social media sharing and liking functionality and help us provide a better website visitor experience. In addition, cookies and pixels may be used to serve relevant ads to website visitors through third party services such as Google Adwords and Facebook Adverts. These ads may appear on this website or other websites you visit.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES
This website may contain links to other websites. These links are meant for your convenience only. Links to third party websites do not constitute sponsorship or endorsement or approval of these websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites. We encourage our users to be aware, when they leave our website, to read the privacy statements of each website that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy policy applies solely to information collected by this website.
Policy review statement
As we plan to ensure our privacy policy remains current, this policy is subject to change. We may modify this policy at any time, in our sole discretion and all modifications will be effective immediately upon our posting of the modifications on this website. Please return periodically to review our privacy policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns at any time about our privacy policy or the use of your Personal Data, please contact us on 8384 4811 and we will respond within 48 working hours.
Privacy Act
There are 13 Australian Privacy Principles and they govern standards, rights and obligations around:
the collection, use and disclosure of personal information
an organisation or agency’s governance and accountability
integrity and correction of personal information
the rights of individuals to access their personal information.
The Australian Privacy Principles are principles-based law. This gives an organisation or agency flexibility to tailor their personal information handling practices to their business models and the diverse needs of individuals. They are also technology neutral, which allows them to adapt to changing technologies.
A breach of an Australian Privacy Principle is an ‘interference with the privacy of an individual’ and can lead to regulatory action and penalties.
Open and transparent management of personal information
Ensures that APP entities manage personal information in an open and transparent way. This includes having a clearly expressed and up to date APP privacy policy.
Anonymity and pseudonymity
Requires APP entities to give individuals the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym. Limited exceptions apply.
Collection of solicited personal information
Outlines when an APP entity can collect personal information that is solicited. It applies higher standards to the collection of sensitive information.
Dealing with unsolicited personal information
Outlines how APP entities must deal with unsolicited personal information.
Notification of the collection of personal information
Outlines when and in what circumstances an APP entity that collects personal information must tell an individual about certain matters.
Use or disclosure of personal information
Outlines the circumstances in which an APP entity may use or disclose personal information that it holds.
Direct marketing
An organisation may only use or disclose personal information for direct marketing purposes if certain conditions are met.
Cross-border disclosure of personal information
Outlines the steps an APP entity must take to protect personal information before it is disclosed overseas.
Adoption, use or disclosure of government related identifiers
Outlines the limited circumstances when an organisation may adopt a government related identifier of an individual as its own identifier, or use or disclose a government related identifier of an individual.
Quality of personal information
An APP entity must take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information it collects is accurate, up to date and complete. An entity must also take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information it uses or discloses is accurate, up to date, complete and relevant, having regard to the purpose of the use or disclosure.
Security of personal information
An APP entity must take reasonable steps to protect personal information it holds from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. An entity has obligations to destroy or de-identify personal information in certain circumstances.
Access to personal information
Outlines an APP entity’s obligations when an individual requests to be given access to personal information held about them by the entity. This includes a requirement to provide access unless a specific exception applies.
Correction of personal information
Outlines an APP entity’s obligations in relation to correcting the personal information it holds about individuals.
Updated 16.10.2025