Privacy Policy

Paynesville Medical Centre Privacy Policy

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. Paynesville Medical Centre complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other applicable privacy and health records laws in relation to the management of personal information.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for the independent health service providers (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 (e.g., staff training).

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• name, date of birth, address, 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

• details of your insurance claim or policy

• healthcare identifiers

• health fund details

Dealing with us anonymously

Limitations of Anonymity

• It is often not practical or possible for a doctor to provide a diagnosis or prescribe medication without knowing a patient's medical history and identity

• You have the right to deal with the Practice either anonymously (no identity recorded) or by using a pseudonym (fictitious name), if it is practical and does not infringe on legal requirements to do so.

• To make a well-informed medical diagnosis, GPs require a patient’s medical history. To prescribe medication, they require a patient’s identity to be confirmed. Please note that should you choose to deal with the practice anonymously or by using a pseudonym your healthcare outcomes may be adversely affected.

• We would also like to inform our patients that, by law, GPs must report communicable diseases as well as any concerns regarding suspected child abuse.

When Anonymity is Possible

• Patients may choose anonymity for sensitive concerns, such as domestic violence or drug and alcohol problems, to feel safe or avoid risk. 

• A suitable alternative to anonymity can be using an alias or pseudonym, which provides some anonymity while still allowing for necessary record-keeping. 

​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 may be collected through electronic transfers of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record, via shared health summary, or 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 or communicate with us using social media.

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 Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

​When 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 the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and this policy

•  with other healthcare providers

• when it is required or authorised by law (e.g., 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 (e.g., some diseases require mandatory notification)

• during the course of providing medical services, through My Health Record (e.g., 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.

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How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms, for example, electronic records, as visual (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos).

Our practice stores all personal information securely by securing our premises, using passwords on all electronic systems and databases, varying access levels to protect electronic information from unauthorised interference, access, modification, or disclosure and by requiring all staff members to adhere to our confidentiality policy.

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Accessing, updating complaints and questions about personal information

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 in writing and our practice will respond within 30 days.  A fee for the retrieval and copying or your medical record may apply, charged in accordance with the schedule of fees specified in the Health Records Regulations 2008 (Vic) plus GST.  This fee is not redeemable through Medicare. 

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 your personal information held by our practice is correct and up to date.  You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such request in writing to the Practice Manager, Paynesville Medical Centre, PO Box 242 Paynesville Vic 3880.

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Paynesville Medical Centre Practitioners

Paynesville Medical Centre (PMC) provides its facilities to independent health service providers and offers them certain non-medical support services. These providers are not employees, partners, or agents of PMC.

All patient records at PMC are owned by the Centre, and all health service providers working here may access them. If you have concerns about this, please speak with the PMC Practice Manager.

PMC has agreements with all providers, as well as policies and procedures in place, to ensure that medical records remain accurate, complete, up to date, and secure.

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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 to the Practice Manager, Paynesville Medical Centre, PO Box 242, Paynesville Vic 3880. We will acknowledge receipt of your concerns within 14 days, and we will then endeavour to provide a full response and attempt to resolve your concerns within 30 days in accordance with our resolution procedure.

You may also contact the 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 https://www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 336 002. You may also wish to lodge a written complaint with the Victorian Privacy Commissioner at https://www.privacy.vic.gov.au  and/or the Victorian Health Services Commissioner at https://www.health.vic.gov.au.

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Policy review statement

We reserve the right to review, and if necessary, make amendments to this Privacy Policy at any time and notify you by posting an updated version of the policy on www.paynesvillemedical.com.au.  Such amendments will take effect from the date of publication on the website.

This policy was last reviewed and updated September 2025

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