NORWEST COSMETIC SURGERY

PRIVACY POLICY

At Norwest Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we prioritise your privacy and confidentiality by adhering to various regulations and guidelines. We have implemented operational processes and procedures to ensure compliance with the following:

Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 to safeguard your personal information.
The Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) Code of Practice, which governs our marketing practices and ensures transparency and accountability.
The Spam Act 2003, which regulates our electronic marketing activities to protect you from unwanted communication.
The Do Not Call Register Act 2006, which guides our telemarketing efforts to respect your preferences.
The Telecommunications Industry Standard 2007, which further regulates our telemarketing practices for enhanced consumer protection.

At Norwest Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we take these regulations seriously to provide you with a safe and secure experience, maintaining the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality.

COLLECTION

At Norwest Cosmetic Surgery clinic, we gather pertinent and essential information to ensure effective medical care, treatment, and the smooth functioning of our medical practice. This information encompasses details such as your name, address, date of birth, gender, health information, family history, credit card and direct debit details, as well as contact information. To maintain records, this information may be stored in our computerised medical records system or in handwritten medical records.

Whenever feasible, we strive to directly collect information from you, ensuring a personalised approach. However, there may be instances where we need to obtain information from other reliable sources, including treating specialists, radiologists, pathologists, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.

We employ various methods to gather information, including telephone or written communication, in-person consultations at our clinic, or online interactions for those who engage in transactions through our website. Both medical and non-medical personnel may be involved in the collection process.

In emergency situations, we may also need to acquire information from your relatives or friends to ensure prompt and appropriate medical care.

Please note that certain legal requirements dictate the retention of medical records for specific durations, which may vary depending on your age at the time of receiving our services.

USE AND DISCLOSURE

At Norwest Cosmetic Surgery clinic, we hold your personal information in the highest regard and maintain its utmost privacy and confidentiality. We strictly use and disclose your information for purposes directly linked to your care, treatment, and in ways that align with your reasonable expectations regarding ongoing care and treatment. For instance, this may involve sharing blood test results with specialists or requesting x-rays.

There are circumstances where we may be legally permitted or obligated to disclose your personal information to third parties. Examples of such instances include disclosures to Medicare, law enforcement agencies, insurers, solicitors, government regulatory bodies, tribunals, courts of law, hospitals, or debt collection agents. Additionally, we may occasionally provide statistical data to third parties for research purposes.

To carry out specific activities on our behalf, we may disclose information about you to external contractors such as IT service providers, solicitors, or debt collection agents. We ensure that these contractors adhere to strict security and confidentiality requirements in handling your personal information. They are obligated to use the information solely for the purposes we have assigned to them and not for any other intent.

DATA QUALITY AND SECURITY

At Norwest Cosmetic Surgery clinic, we are committed to ensuring the accuracy, completeness, currency, and relevance of your personal information. To fulfill this objective, our staff may request your confirmation regarding the accuracy of your contact details during your consultation. We kindly ask you to inform us if any of the information we have on record is incorrect or outdated.

To safeguard the personal information we possess, we have implemented the following protective measures:

Securing our premises to prevent unauthorized entry.

Implementing passwords and access levels on databases to restrict access, safeguard electronic information, and prevent unauthorized interference, access, modification, and disclosure.

Providing locked cabinets and designated rooms to securely store physical records.

By employing these measures, we strive to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the personal information under our care.

ACCESS

You have the right to request access to your medical records. To initiate this process, we kindly ask you to submit your request in writing, and we will endeavor to respond within a reasonable timeframe.

Please note that there may be an administrative fee associated with retrieving and providing you with copies of your medical records.

In certain circumstances permitted by law, we reserve the right to deny access to your medical records. This may occur, for example, if the disclosure poses a serious threat to your health or safety. Should we deny access, we will always provide you with a clear explanation for our decision and inform you of the available options for responding to it.

COMPLAINTS

Patients who are dissatisfied have the right to lodge a complaint. You can do this by:

Directly raising and resolving the complaint with the practitioner
Utilising the complaint process established by the clinic or facility.
Lodging a complaint with the health complaints entity in the specific state or territory where the surgery took place in which case would be NSW.
Initiating a complaint with Ahpra (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency), the Health Care Complaints Commission, or the Medical Council of NSW (New South Wales).

Any non-disclosure agreement (NDA) employed explicitly states that a patient or their representative retains the right to file a complaint with Ahpra, the Health Care Complaints Commission, or the Medical Council of NSW (in NSW), or the Office of the Health Ombudsman (in Queensland).

CONTACT
Please direct any questions or concerns to info@norwestcosmeticsurgery.com.au or contact the clinic on (02) 8313 6611