AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY PRINCIPLES (APP) POLICY

 

PART A – PURPOSE AND CONTEXT

1.0 Churchill Aesthetics is committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of all personal information affiliated with the business undertakings.

1.1 Churchill Aesthetics follows the terms and conditions of privacy and confidentiality in accordance to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as per schedule 1 of the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012 (Cth), forming part of the Privacy Act 1988 (‘the Act’).

1.2 The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to clearly communicate how Churchill Aesthetics collects and manages personal information.

1.3 The point of contact regarding any queries relating to this policy is Mr Peter Dennett.

 

PART B – AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY PRINCIPLES

2.0 As a private sector health service provider and under permitted health situations, Churchill Aesthetics is required to comply with the APPs as prescribed under the Act.

2.1 The APPs regulate how Churchill Aesthetics may collect, use, disclose and store personal information and how individuals, including Churchill Aesthetics’ patients may:

• address breaches of the APPs by Churchill Aesthetics:

• access their own personal information; and,

• correct their own personal information.

2.2 In order to provide patients with adequate health care services, Churchill Aesthetics will need to collect and use personal information. It is important to be aware that if the patient provides incomplete or inaccurate information or the patient withholds personal health information Churchill Aesthetics may not be able to provide the patient with the services they are requesting.

2.3 In this Privacy Policy, common terms and definitions include:

• “personal information” as defined by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Meaning “information or an opinion including information or an opinion forming part of a database, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material format or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion”; and,

• “health information” as defined by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This is a particular subset of “personal information” and means:

(a) Information or opinion about the health or disability (at any time i.e. past, present or future) of an individual that can be classified as personal information;

(b) Information or opinion about an individual’s expressed wishes about the future provision of health services that can be classified as personal information;

(c) Information or opinion about health service provided, or to be provided, to an individual, that can be classified as personal information;

(d) Other personal information collected to provide, or in providing, a health service;

(e) Other personal information about an individual collected in connection with the donation, or intended donation, by the individual of his or her body parts, organs or body substances; or

(f) Genetic information about an individual in a form that is, or could be, predictive of the health of the individual or a genetic relative of the individual.

2.3.1 Personal information also includes ‘sensitive information’ which is information including, but not limited to a patient’s:

• race;

• religion;

• political opinions;

• sexual preferences; and or,

• health information.

2.3.2 Information deemed ‘sensitive information’ attracts a higher privacy standard under the Act and is subject to additional mechanisms for the patient’s protection.

 

PART C – TYPES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

3.0 Churchill Aesthetics collects information from each individual patient that is necessary to provide the patient with adequate health care services.

3.1 This may include collecting information about a patient’s health history, family history, ethnic background or current lifestyle to assist the Churchill Aesthetics staff in diagnosing and treating a patient’s condition.

 

PART D – COLLECTION & RETENTION

4.0 This information will in most circumstances be collected directly from the patient through but not limited to the following mediums:

(g) Churchill Aesthetics patient consent form;

(h) medical treatment form; and or,

(i) face to face consultation

4.1 In other instances, Churchill Aesthetics may need to collect personal information about a patient from a third party source. This may include:

• relatives; or,

• other health service providers.

4.2 This will only be conducted if the patient has provided consent for Churchill Aesthetics to collect his/her information from a third party source; or, where it is not reasonable or practical for Churchill Aesthetics to collect this information directly from the patient. This may include where:

• the patient’s health is potentially at risk and his/her personal information is needed to provide them with emergency medical treatment.

4.3 Churchill Aesthetics endeavours to store and retain a patient’s personal & health information in hard copy on site and transferred electronically onto a domestic server.

 

PART E – PURPOSE OF COLLECTION, USE & DISCLOSURE

5.0 Churchill Aesthetics only uses a patient’s personal information for the purpose(s) they have provided the information for unless one of the following applies:

• the patient has consented for Churchill Aesthetics to use his/her information for an alternative or additional purpose;

• the disclosure of the patient’s information by Churchill Aesthetics is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of criminal law or a law imposing a penalty or sanction, or for the protection of public revenue;

• the disclosure of the patient’s information by Churchill Aesthetics will prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to somebody’s life or health; or,

• Churchill Aesthetics is required or authorised by law to disclose the patient’s information for another purpose.

i. Health Professionals to provide treatment

During the patient’s treatment at Churchill Aesthetics he/she may be referred to alternative medical treatment/services (i.e. pathology or radiology) where Churchill Aesthetics’ staff may consult with senior medical experts when determining a patient’s diagnosis or treatment.

Churchill Aesthetics’ staff may also refer the patient to other health service providers for further treatment during and following the patient’s admission. These services include, but are not limited to:

• Physiotherapy; or,

• Outpatient or community health services.

These health professionals will be designated health service providers appointed to use the patient’s health information as part of the process of providing treatment. Please note that this process will be conducted whilst maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of the patient’s personal information.

ii. Alternative Health services

At any point a patient wishes to be treated by an alternative medical practitioner or health care service that requires access to his/her personal/health information Churchill Aesthetics requires written authorisation. This written authorisation is to state that the patient will be utilising alternative health services and that these health services have consented for a transfer of personal/health information.

iii. Other Third Parties

Churchill Aesthetics may provide the patient’s personal information regarding a patient’s treatment or condition to additional third parties. These third parties may include:

• parent(s);

• child/ren;

• other relatives;

• close personal friends;

• guardians; or,

• a person exercising a patient’s power of attorney under an enduring power of attorney.

Where information is relevant or reasonable to be provided to third parties, written consent from the patient is required.

Additionally, the patient may at any time wish to disclose that no third parties as stated are to access or be informed about his/her personal information or circumstances.

iv. Other Uses of Personal Information

In order to provide the best possible environment to treat patients, Churchill Aesthetics may also use personal/health information where necessary for:

• activities such as quality assurance processes, accreditation, audits, risk and claims management, patient satisfaction surveys and staff education and training;

• invoicing, billing and account management;

• to liaise with a patient’s health fund, Medicare or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, as necessary; and,

• the purpose of complying with any applicable laws – i.e. in response to a subpoena or compulsory reporting to State or Federal authorities.

5.1 If at any point or for any of the aforementioned reasons Churchill Aesthetics uses or discloses personal/ health information in accordance with the APPs, Churchill Aesthetics  will provide written notice for the patient’s consent for the use and/or disclosure.

 

PART F – ACCESS AND CHANGES TO PERSONAL INFORMATION

Any information found on this website is not intended to constitute a contract and may change without notice. Nothing on this website will be deemed to constitute an offer to contract. Churchill Aesthetics operates this website from Ipswich, Australia and makes no representation that the information contained herein is appropriate or available for use in other locations outside Australia.