Transfer of your medical records
If would like us to request a copy of your previous health records from another doctor or hospital we have authorisation forms for you to complete and sign. We will fax these completed forms to your previous doctor. Please note that some medical centres charge an administration fee for transferring records.

New Patient forms
New patients please arrive 15 minutes prior to your first appointment to complete the necessary paperwork and allow entry of your details into our computer system. If you have already filled out the new patient form you can arrive 10 minutes prior to your first appointment. We will need name and address and contact telephone numbers, name and contact number for your next-of-kin, occupation, medicare number, pension or health-care-card details and your medical history including allergies and immunisations.

Carlton Family Medical privacy policy
Current as of: September 2018

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:

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.
   Information can also be collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record, eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
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 Veteran’s 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 (Australian Privacy Principles) 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) (We only participate in my health record when a patient requests and with their consent)

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.

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. Eg medical records are electronic. Imaging films are stored temporarily and securely on site, then given back to patients at the next visit.

Our practice stores all personal information securely, eg in electronic format, protected by the highest cyber security measures, password-protected and all staff and contractors have signed confidentiality agreements.

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 to your treating Doctor or Practice Manager Sashi Naidu and our practice will respond within 30 days. The fees for providing a copy of medical records to another practice is $22.

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 Ms Sashi Naidu (practice manager).

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. Carlton Family Medical 88 Rathdowne St Carlton 3053, phone 03 8330 3900. We will respond to your concerns within 30 days of receipt.

You may also contact the OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner). 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

Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. Updates will be posted on our website and available in our Practice.