Policies | Kingsway Family Prac

Communications Policy

All patient information is treated in line with principals of confidentiality and security. As a result, we ask that you only provide information directly to your doctor during consultation, and do not email information directly to the Practice.

All results of investigations must be obtained directly from your doctor during either a face-to-face consultation or via Telehealth.

Your Personal Information

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of medical staff. You may request access to your own medical information through our medical staff.

Privacy Policy

We would like to let you know how we look after your privacy

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. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health.

What personal information do we collect?

names, date of birth, addresses, contact details, emergency contact details, Medicare number.
medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors.

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?

1. When you make your first appointment our staff will collect your personal and demographic information via our new patient registration form.

2. When providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Other methods we receive information are “myhealth record” and electronic downloads from hospital or pathology.

3. We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email, telephone us, make an appointment or communicate with us.

4. In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Sometimes it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include the following:
- your guardian or responsible person
- involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health, hospitals, pathology and diagnostic services, etc

Who do we share your personal information with?

with other healthcare providers, and when sending referrals on your behalf
when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
when it is necessary to lessen or prevent serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety
to assist in locating a missing person
to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim, and /or for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
when there is statutory requirement to share information (e.g. diseases or virus mandatory notification)

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.

How do we store your personal information?

A patient’s personal information may be held securely Kingsway Family and/or in the Admin Office in various forms:

as paper records, in hard copy format in secured environment
as electronic records in protected password-secured information systems
as visual – x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos

You have the right to request access to, your personal information

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and our practice will respond within a reasonable time. There will be a fee applicable to the time spent - $40 for the supply of your medical records on a USB provided by Kingsway Family Practice.

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 have in writing, to Jodi Hagan(Practice Manager). Please allow 5 working days for follow up and initial response to your concern. You may also contact the OAIC. The OAIC may require you to give them time to respond, before they investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 336 002

Complaints and Feedback

Patient satisfaction affects health outcomes and we acknowledges that patient complaints are important. Patients have a “right to complain” and benefit from having some way to voice their concerns.

We are keen to understand any dissatisfaction and take action to rectify or limit deficiencies in our services. Most complaints can be responded to and resolved at the time the patient (or relative, friend, other customer) makes them known to us.

If you do have a complaint or grievance, we do encourage you to directly bring it to our attention. If a satisfactory outcome is not achieved then the complaint can go directly to the Health Services Commissioner for action.

The public may also call the Office of the Health Services Commissioner at any time concerning a query or to report one. To obtain a complaint form, please speak to our Practice Manager or contact the Health Care Complaints Commission directly:

Phone: 02 9219 7444 or Toll Free: 1800 043 159

http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Complaints/Online-complaint- form/Default