Privacy policy

Your privacy and the law

Australian Surgical Assisting is committed to ensuring that the privacy of your personal information is respected and maintained at all times. We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) and any relevant Health Privacy Principles under State legislation.

This Privacy Policy outlines how personal information about you and your health is recorded and managed by Australian Surgical Assisting (ASA).

What personal information do we collect? 

The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact details, Medicare number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information may include medical history and any care you may need. Doctors and nurses need information about your past and present health in order to provide you with high-quality care.  ASA follows the guidelines of Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) which requires that your personal information is kept private and secure.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

ASA 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, company audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg staff training).

We may also collect your personal information for the purpose of telling you about our services or products that might better service your healthcare or lifestyle requirements or other opportunities in which you may be interested. You may opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by following opt out instructions provided in such marketing communications.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you commence receiving care from us, you provide consent for staff, nurses and doctors to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff that needs 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 so.

How do we collect your personal information?

Australian Surgical Assisting will collect your personal information:
• When you are referred to our service
• When your services commence 
• During the course of providing clinical 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 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 and hospitals
• your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veteran's Affairs (as necessary).

Your medical records

ASA takes steps to ensure that your medical records:
• are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible
• are up-to-date
• contain enough information to allow other Healthcare providers to care for you

If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask our Privacy Officer. If you wish to remain anonymous while accessing healthcare services, please speak to one of our staff.

Disclosing your personal information


Subject to the particular restrictions on sensitive information (see below) we may disclose your personal information to:
• any person you request or consent to receiving the information
• in the case of a minor, to the parent with parental responsibility
• to any other authorised representative such as a legal guardian or Power of Attorney
• your treating doctor or regular general practitioner
• health professionals that are or will be involved in your case such as emergency departments and ambulance services
• anyone we are required or authorised by law to disclose the personal information
• Medicare or other health insurance companies where it is necessary for you to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates, or
• our contractors assisting us to facilitate the provision of healthcare services or other services to you;
• anyone included in a transfer of all or part of our assets or businesses
• there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information.

In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided. Your health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:
• you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and
• the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

Sensitive information will only be used for the purposes for which it was provided or for a purpose directly related to such purpose, unless you agree otherwise or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is required or authorised by law.
By providing your personal information, you are consenting to provisions outlined previously and to the collection, use and disclosure provisions described.

ASA requires that organisations to which it discloses your personal information have in place reasonable safeguards for protecting personal information. These organisations are only permitted to use the information for services or functions for which they have been engaged.

Providing your information to GPs and others

ASA respects your right to decide how your personal information is used or shared. If requested, personal information that identifies you will be sent to your GP or General Practice or other health professionals that are or will be involved in your care, such as Emergency Departments and Ambulance Services. Your personal information will only be sent to other people with your consent, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle used by ASA in using and sharing your information. 

Using health information for quality improvement and research

ASA may use your health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the service.

Your information held by ASA may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the community; however, this information will not include data that can identify you.

The information used for research, including the publication of research results, will not be in a form that would allow you to be identified, unless the research serves an important public interest. In such cases, identifiable medical records can be used for medical research without your consent under guidelines issued by the Australian Government. Before providing such identified information, ASA will discuss with you the information that she or he is obliged to disclose.

How can you access your health information?

Sharing information is important for good communication between ASA and yourself. You can request access to your medical record and any other information ASA records about you. You may also ask our staff about any aspect of your healthcare, including information contained in your record.

If you request access to your medical record, ASA will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information. ASA may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.

Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing the information.

How do we protect your personal information?

Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorised access. ASA complies with these requirements to protect your information. Unauthorised use of confidential information is grounds for litigation in Australia. ASA does not tolerate any misuse of confidential information.

Use of Cookies on the website


ASA measures traffic to its website and uses cookies to monitor return visits. A 'cookie' is a small file that is sent to your computer when you visit our website. Cookies may store user preferences and other information. The cookies we use do not store any personal data or otherwise collect personally-identifiable information. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

Changes to our privacy policy

We reserve the right to change this policy at any time.

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of your health information

If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the accuracy of the information held by ASA, you should discuss these with our Privacy Officer. Inaccurate information can be corrected or your concerns noted in your record. For legal reasons, the original notes will be retained.

Contact Us

If you wish to contact us about your personal information or make a complaint about possible breaches of privacy, you should direct enquiries to:

Privacy Officer
Australian Surgical Assisting
PO Box 528, SPRING HILL QLD 4004 
Email: queries@australiansurgical.com.au

The Privacy Officer will endeavour to deal with your enquiry or complaint as soon as is reasonably practicable.


Further information on privacy legislation is available from:

Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner

1300 363 992
www.oaic.gov.au

Information and Privacy Commission
New South Wales - 1800 472 679
www.ipc.nsw.gov.au
 
Office of the Information Commissioner
Queensland - 07 3234 7373
www.oic.qld.gov.au 

ACT Health Services Commissioner
02 6205 2222
www.hrc.act.gov.au

Office of the Health Services Commissioner  
Victoria - 1300 582 113
www.health.vic.gov.au

Ombudsman Tasmania
1800 001 170
www.ombudsman.tas.gov.au

Health and Disability Services Complaints Office    
Western Australia - 1800 813 583
www.hadsco.wa.gov.au

Privacy Committee of South Australia
08 8204 8786
www.archives.sa.gov.au



 

Why and when your consent is necessary 
Why and when your consent is necessary