A/Prof Prem Rashid’s Surgery

We respect and uphold your rights to privacy protection under the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988. The National Privacy Principles apply to us from their introduction on 21st December 2001.


WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES THIS SURGERY HOLD?

Doctors are allowed under the Act to collect health information from their patients to provide medical treatment and diagnostic care and we may hold the following information about you:

  • Name, street, telephone number(s)
  • Date of birth
  • Occupation
  • Next of kin
  • Health information
  • General practitioner
  • Referring doctor
  • Returned Service Organisation
  • Transaction details associated with services we have provided to you
  • Any additional information provided to us by you
  • Any information you provided to us through patient surveys


WHAT DOES THIS SURGERY DO WITH MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

The personal information collected is used:

  • To provide medical treatment and continuing care to you.
  • To assist and provide information to your treating doctors, nursing staff and other allied health professionals in providing medical treatment and continuing follow up care to you.
  • To assist with any calls that you make to us.
  • For our internal administrative requirements.
  • To process private health fund claims.
  • As information (in a de-identified form-eg no names provided) for clinical indicator and clinical audit reporting for research or analysis of statistics, relevant to public health or public safety.
  • To provide data in both an identified and de-identified form to State and Federal Government agencies in compliance to numerous legislative requirements.

We will not disclose personal information about you to any person except:

  • On a confidential basis to agents that we use in the ordinary operation of our business, such as for information and data processing, printing or mailing.
  • When the patient has consented to the use and disclosure.
  • The doctor reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s life and safety, or to public health or public safety.
  • The disclosure is required by law.

In addition to the above, doctors may disclose health information about the patient to a person who is responsible for the patient if:

  • The patient is physically or legally incapable of giving consent
  • The patient cannot communicate consent to the disclosure.


STORAGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

A/Prof Rashid stores personal information:

  • contained in paper based and other hard copy documents in a storage facility located at the surgery. This is security protected.
  • contained in electronic records in a secure password environment.

Such records are only accessible by those persons who require access to their personal information for the purpose of carrying out their employment.


PATIENT ACCESS TO THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION

You may request access to personal information we hold about you by writing to us at the address below or in person. You do not have to provide a reason for requesting access. Where we hold information that you are entitled to access, we will endeavour to provide you with a suitable range of choices as to how you may access it. The Act requires us to provide patients with access to the information on their request except to the extent that:

  • In the case of personal information other than health information; providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of any individual; or
  • The request for access is frivolous or vexatious ;or
  • The information relates to anticipated or existing legal proceedings between a doctor and the patient, or
  • Providing access would be unlawful, or
  • Denying access is required or authorised by law.

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate, then you may request an amendment of it. Your request for information will be passed on to the doctor for approval. Information that is ours and ours alone can only be passed on and any letters or information from previous doctors will need to be sought from those involved.

Any questions about this policy, or any complaint regarding treatment of your privacy by our surgery, should also be made in writing to the address below.
Our contact details are as follows:

A/Prof Prem Rashid
Urology Centre
PO Box 5354
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Phone: (02) 6581 3456
Fax: (02) 6581 3455
Email: info@urologycentre.com


MISCELLANEOUS

This policy is correct as of 7.10.2005. We may change this policy from time to time. Although we intend to observe this policy at all times, it is not legally binding in any way. From time to time we may regard it as necessary or desirable to act outside the policy. We may do so, subject only to any other applicable contractual rights we have, any statutory rights we have under the Privacy Act or other applicable legislation.


COMPLAINTS

Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issue related to the privacy of your personal information with your doctor. If you are still dissatisfied you can complain to the Federal Privacy Commissioner whose contact details are; GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001 ph no 1300 363 992