Current as of: 25th May 2025
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.
- 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. This might include information collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record, or other eHealth services, and from transfer of records from other facilities – e.g. from relevant discharge summaries from inpatient hospital stays
- 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, or through the Best Practice app.
- 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
- In connection with the Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital (GWMH)
- Lord Howe Island General Practice (LHIGP) and GWMH share a facility but are separate legal entities.
- GWMH is managed by NSW Health through the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD).
- Many clinical staff are employed by both organisations, and patient care is often delivered jointly across LHIGP and GWMH during a single presentation or over multiple visits. The two organisations share a single clinical record system.
- LHIGP uses an electronic medical record system (“Best Practice”).
- GWMH uses paper-based records but may access (including printing) and enter relevant information from the LHIGP system for inclusion in GWMH’s paper file.
- These records are not routinely uploaded or shared with NSW Health’s broader electronic systems
- This shared access supports continuity of care on the island
- 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.
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.
Use of medical Ai scribes. Our practice may use secure artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with medical documentation (e.g., summarising consultations or generating clinical notes). These tools are used under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner, and any AI-generated notes are reviewed for accuracy before being entered into your medical record. No identifiable patient information is shared outside approved and secure systems, and all use complies with Australian privacy legislation and clinical confidentiality standards.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. This may include electronic medical records, paper records, and visual information such as images form medical imaging, videos, audio recordings and photos which have been taken with your consent (e.g. a photograph of a skin lesion, or a video of a symptom).
Our practice stores all personal information securely. Electronic information is stored in encrypted, password protected information systems (including all backups). Hard copies are kept in secure, locked locations. We have confidentiality agreements with staff and contractors.
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, by signing our medical records request form. and our practice will respond within 30 days. Please note that there is a fee for providing this information.
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 reception@lordhowegp.com.au, or Lord Howe Island General Practice, Lagoon Road, Lord Howe Island NSW 2898.
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 and within a reasonable timeframe. Please contact us at reception@lordhowegp.com.au, or Lord Howe Island General Practice, Lagoon Road, Lord Howe Island NSW 2898. You can contact us by telephone on 02 6563 2000.
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.
You also have the option to contact the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC). You can lodge a complaint with the HCCC online or by calling their Inquiry Line at 1800 043 159
Privacy and our website
We do not collect any personal information through our website. Our ‘new patient’ form can be downloaded from our website, printed and then filled in to bring with you on your first appointment.
We collect personal information including your phone number and/or your email to contact you for recalls, reminders and/or results. If you agree to us contacting you by these methods your consent is required by signing the ‘new patient’ form. It is important to note that email is not a secure form of communication and therefore no sensitive information will be sent without your explicit consent.
Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. State how you will notify your patients when you amend this policy. Changes to this privacy policy will be shown in this webpage and noted by the “current as of” date at the top of the page. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy on our website homepage, and on our social media channels.