Patients Rights & Responsibilities

Patient Rights:       

PRIVACY & YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS:

Our practice policy is to maintain the privacy of your health information. We ensure that at all times only authorised members have access to the records. The Privacy brochure is available at the reception desk on request.

Patients have a right to participate in discussions about your health. Patients can request a copy of their records in writing.  Patients also have the right to choose who they want to be referred to and they will be informed if a fee is payable.

POUND ROAD MEDICAL CENTRE PRIVACY POLICY:

Current as of: February 2024

Introduction

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.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, 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.

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

Our practice 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 (eg 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.

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 the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Our Practice participates in eHealth services like electronic transfer of Prescriptions and My Health Records.
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.
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).

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 (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 the course of 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 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.

We do not send any information overseas. ,

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.

All of your information and records are stored electronically. Our practice has taken all measures for your information to be safe and secure. Our Server is in a secure locked room with entry locks and all computers have access passcodes to ensure unauthorized personal from gaining access.

All our staff are required to sign Confidential Agreements before they start.

Any documents that have patient information are destroyed securely.

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

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 . Please ask the reception staff for the “Request to Access Self Information Form”. Once you have filled in and signed the form please return it to one of the staff and our practice will respond within a reasonable time.(within 30 business days). You can request to view or have a copy of your records. If paper copy is required a fee may be charged.  $.20 cents per page and if posted Registered postage charges will apply.

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 the Practice Manager or your GP.

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. The complaint can we made verbally or in writing. Please ask the reception stazff for the complaint form. Once received by the Practice manager you will receive an Acknowledgement letter within 14 days.  You will then receive a reply on how the coplaint was delath with, if you are unhappy with the outcome you can make a further complaint to the HSC (details below)

If you have a complaint with the Doctor or General Practice, please contact the:

HEALTH SERVICES COMMISSIONER:

Telephone: 1300 582 113     Fax No.: (61 3) 9032 3111
26th Floor,  570 Bourke Street
Melbourne. 3000   Victoria

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

Our practice does not use electronic means of communicating with patients. Emails(as it’s not encrypted) or social media. Kindly either call the practice or Fax to the practice. This is to ensure your information is safe. If you send us any information via email kindly note this will be at your own risk in the event of  any breach in privacy.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. The updated date will be on the Privacy Statement.

Disclaimer:

The Privacy policy template for general practices is intended for use as a guide of a general nature only and may or may not be relevant to particular practices or circumstances. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has used its best endeavours to ensure the template is adapted for general practice to address current and anticipated future privacy requirements. Persons adopting or implementing its procedures or recommendations should exercise their own independent skill or judgement, or seek appropriate professional advice. While the template is directed to general practice, it does not ensure compliance with any privacy laws, and cannot of itself guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients. Accordingly, the RACGP disclaims all liability (including negligence) to any users of the information contained in this template for any loss or damage (consequential or otherwise), cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of reliance on the template in any manner.

COMPLAINTS & FEEDBACK:

Patient satisfaction affects health outcomes and our practice acknowledges that patient complaints are an important source of customer feedback.

If you have a complaint with the Doctor or General Practice, please contact the Health Services Commissioner.

Telephone: 1300 582 113     
Fax No.: (61 3) 9032 3111
Address: 26th Floor, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Victoria, 3000.

Suggestions: If you have a suggestion on how we can improve the practice services, we would like to hear about it. You may wish to complete a patient feedback survey which can be found on the front reception desk.

​PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

AS A PATIENT:

See reception staff on arrival and at you must show your Medicare Card / HCC / PC and verify 3 forms of identification.

1. Date of birth.
2. Address
3. Telephone numbers 
4. *This is a legal requirement to make sure all details are up-to-date and to make sure the correct patient is being seen.

• Treat reception staff with respect, we expect to receive.
• Treat reception staff with courtesy and understanding, specially under pressure.
• Remember that the receptionist is not to be blamed for delays
• Accept that the doctor / patient relationship is a partnership
• Not discriminate against any health professional on the grounds of ethnicity, sex or disability.
• Value and respect the service provided.
• Acknowledge that I will not be given a script every time I attend the clinic. 
• Cancel my appointment as soon as I know that I am unable to attend (at least 2 hours prior to the appointment time else a non-attendance fee is payable).
• Inform reception staff is a longer appointment is required (for forms, etc).

VERBAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED-PATIENTS WHO ABUSE  ANY MEMBER OF THE PRACTICE TEAM WILL BE SENT A FORMAL WRITTEN WARNING AND IN THE EVENT OF RE-OCCURANCE WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE PRACTICE LIST.