Privacy Policy

Privacy and Health Information Management

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.

Smith Street Medical Centre is committed to providing quality health care for its patients. As a fundamental part of this commitment principals and staff of the practice recognise the importance of ensuring that our patients are fully informed and involved in their health care.

Smith Street Medical Centre is, as a NSW health provider in private sector, bound by the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) and Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012 this includes both the Australian Privacy Principles and the NSW Health Privacy Principles. These Principles set the standards by which we handle personal information collected from our patients.

As a part of our commitment to providing quality health care it is necessary for us to maintain files pertaining to your health. The files contain the following types of information:

• Personal details (your name, address, date of birth, Medicare Number).
• Your medical history.
• Notes made during the course of medical consultations.
• Referrals to other health service providers. 
• Results and reports received from other health service providers.

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration. 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.

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, pathology and diagnostic imaging services and My Health Record, e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary
• your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

Your medical file is handled with the utmost respect for your privacy. The file will be accessed by your medical practitioner, and when necessary, for example in the absence of your usual medical practitioner, by other medical practitioners in the practice. It may also be necessary for our staff to handle your file from time to time to address the administrative requirements of running a medical practice. Our staff members are bound by strict confidentially requirements as a condition of employment and these requirements will be observed if it is necessary for them to view your records.

At times, to ensure the function of our practice, it may also be necessary to allow external organisations to access our practice and possibly, to view the medical records. Any external organisation that provides service or advice to this practice will be aware of the need to preserve the requirement of state and federal privacy legislation and will be bound by a confidentially agreement.

The practice does not intend to disclose your personal information to overseas recipients. Ordinarily we will not release the contents of your medical file without your consent. However, we advise that there may be occasions where we will be required to release the details of your file irrespective of whether your consent to the disclosure of the information is given.

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 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.

We advise that as a patient of this practice you have rights of access to any information, we hold concerning you. We require you to put this request in writing, and our practice will respond within a reasonable time.

Access to your health information may be refused under exceptional circumstance. For example where:

• that access would lead to significant distress or lead to self-harm or harm to another person
• the health information of another patient is contained within the medical record
• the requesting patient’s information was disclosed by another patient in confidence
• the possibility of domestic abuse or child abuse exists.

As part of our commitment to preserving the confidentiality of the information contained in your medical record, we advise that strict secure policies are observed in this practice. All reasonable steps are taken to prevent any unlawful interference with your electronic records, which are accessible only by staff of this practice and are protected by a security password. Your paper records are kept in secure filing cabinets and accessible only by practice staff. Each member of staff is well versed in the principles and importance of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Should you, at any time, have a query or complaint in relation to the privacy policies in place at this practice please contact the Practice Manager at pm@smithstmedical.com.au, who will address any concerns you have.

We advise that it is the practice’s policy that any complaint is required to be made in writing and addressed to the Practice Manager and marked private and confidential.

We will endeavour to address complaints within 30 days of receipt of your complaint.

Should you dissatisfied with our response to your privacy complaint, you may lodge a written complaint with the NSW Privacy Commissioner or the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.