Privacy Statement
Privacy and confidentiality is fundamental to SGB Podiatry’s values and undertakings. Our policies and procedures ensure that the personal information in our possession is handled sensitively, securely and in accordance with privacy legislation.
SGB Podiatry is committed to upholding the National Privacy Principles which set the standards for obtaining, using, storing and accessing our clients’ Personal Information.
What information is collected and used?
To provide quality podiatric care, SGB Podiatry collects Personal Information from our clients such as name, contact details and sensitive medical information. This information is necessary to provide accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We will also use clients’ personal information to communicate with them and for billing purposes.
Whilst there is no obligation for clients to provide the information requested, withholding information may prevent us from providing our services to them.
It is the clients’ responsibility to ensure that the information they have provided to us is accurate and current. Clients are able to update/ correct their information as required however we may track these changes for auditing purposes.
Examples of Personal Information we may collect include:
- names, addresses, date of birth, email addresses, phone number(s), family relations,
- medicare card details, health fund details,
- occupation,
- historical and current health information,
- historical and current medications taken,
- healthcare practitioners involved in treatment,
- transaction details,
- any additional information provided to us by you.
This Personal Information is obtained in many ways including:
- correspondence through interview,
- by telephone and facsimile,
- by email,
- via our website https://www.sgbpodiatry.com.au,
- from social media and publications,
- from other publicly available sources and from third parties.
We don’t guarantee website links or policy of authorised third parties.
Disclosure
Clients have a right to privacy and confidentiality of their Personal Information. SGB Podiatry will only use or disclose a client’s Personal Information for the purpose for which it was collected to provide our services, i.e. providing podiatry assessment, treatment and related services.
From time to time, personal information may be shared with other health providers (doctors, allied health practitioners, specialists, etc.) in the course of treating/ managing a client’s condition. Where applicable, client information will also be provided to Medicare, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and/ or health insurance funds. The clients’ information is disclosed to these parties only in relation to the specific services provided to the client.
Unless the client authorises (in writing) a third party (other than above) to access to their information, only the client will be granted access to their personal information.
There are limited exceptions where information may be disclosed without the client’s consent including emergency situations, risks to the health and safety of an individual or the public, fulfilling medical indemnity insurance requirements. Practitioners may be legally bound to release client records in situations such as under court orders, subpoenas, and Coroner’s court cases.
We may also use Personal Information in other ways to enhance the services we provide to our clients. Clients have the right to tell us that they do not want us to contact them for any reasons other than the primary purpose of collecting their personal information.