Privacy Policy

Carrier Street Clinic – Privacy Policy & Patient Consent
Current as of: February 2025

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal and health information. Here’s what you need to know:

We only collect information necessary for your care and only with your consent.
We use your data to provide healthcare, improve services, and meet legal obligations.
Your data is stored securely, and we won’t share it without your consent unless required by law.
You can access or correct your information at any time.
Our full policy below explains this in more detail.

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Carrier Street Clinic complies with the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and relevant Health Privacy Principles. This policy explains how we manage your personal and health information, including how we collect, use, store, and disclose it.

Why and When We Collect Your Information

When you register as a patient, you provide consent for our doctors and staff to access and use your personal information to deliver quality healthcare. We only collect what’s necessary to:

Manage your health and treatment
Communicate with you
Conduct administrative tasks (e.g., billing, Medicare claims)
Improve the quality and safety of our services
Support training and accreditation
Meet legal obligations

We may also collect information for other purposes (e.g., research) but will always obtain your additional consent beforehand.

What We Collect

The types of information we collect include:

Full name, date of birth, gender, and contact details
Medicare number, healthcare identifiers, and private health fund details
Medical history, medications, allergies, immunisations, family history
Social and lifestyle information relevant to your health

Dealing Anonymously

You may request to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym when interacting with us, where lawful and practical (e.g., general inquiries). However, full identification is required for medical treatment.

How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in a variety of ways, including:

When you book or register for your first appointment (online, phone, or in person)
During consultations with our doctors or allied health professionals
Through My Health Record (e.g., Shared Health Summary, Event Summary)
From specialists, hospitals, or other healthcare providers
From guardians or legally authorised representatives
From government agencies such as Medicare or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Through pathology, imaging, and allied health reports

If we receive unsolicited information that is not relevant to your care, it will be securely destroyed.

Use and Disclosure of Your Information

We use your personal information to provide medical care and improve clinic operations. Your data may be disclosed to:

Other healthcare providers involved in your treatment
Allied health professionals, specialists, and hospitals
Pathology and imaging services
My Health Record (with your control settings applied)
IT providers and accreditation bodies working under strict confidentiality
Legal or regulatory bodies if required by law (e.g., court orders, disease notification)
Emergency services in the event of a serious threat to life, health, or safety
Law enforcement to assist in locating a missing person
Your authorised representatives or guardians

We do not use your information for marketing without your explicit written consent. We do not send data overseas unless legally required and with your permission.

How We Protect Your Information

We are committed to the security of your personal and health information. Measures include:

Secure, password-protected electronic systems
Restricted access to physical and digital records
Staff confidentiality agreements and privacy training
Regular audits and data access reviews

In the event of a data breach that could cause serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in line with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to access your medical records and request corrections if information is inaccurate or outdated.

To do so, please complete a Request for Personal Health Information Form. We aim to process requests within 14 business days. A small administrative fee may apply ($0.20 per page + $42.02 admin fee).

Feedback and Privacy Complaints

We welcome your feedback and take privacy concerns seriously. If you have a concern or wish to make a complaint:

Contact:
Practice Manager
Address: Carrier Street Clinic
30 Carrier Street Benalla, VIC 3672
Phone: 03 5762 4629
Email: cscadmin@carrierstreetclinic.com.au

We will acknowledge and respond to your complaint within 30 days. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may contact:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
www.oaic.gov.au | 1300 363 992
Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
www.hcc.vic.gov.au | 1300 582 113

Website & Online Privacy

When you interact with our website:

We may use cookies to improve performance and gather anonymous analytics data.
Online forms (e.g., appointment booking) securely collect your details for healthcare purposes only.
Our website may contain links or embedded content (e.g., maps, social media) from third-party providers. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.
No identifiable health information is collected or stored through cookies or online tracking tools.

Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed at least annually and updated as needed to remain compliant with changing laws and standards.

Please check our website or ask reception for the most recent version.

Additional Patient Information

In line with RACGP Standard C1.1 A, we provide the following information on our website and in our clinic:

Clinic address and contact details
Consulting hours and after-hours care arrangements
Billing policies (e.g., bulk billing eligibility)
List of practitioners and their specialities
Communication policy (how we handle phone/email inquiries)
Feedback and complaint process
Full range of healthcare services offered