Your Privacy
Ear Nose & Throat Ballarat takes its obligations under the Victorian Health Records Act 2001 and the Commonwealth Privacy Act 2001 seriously and would like to take all reasonable steps in order to comply and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold. This statement sets out how we intend to do so.
If you have any queries or concerns please contact us on the details below.
Business Hours
Monday :: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Tuesday :: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Wednesday :: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Thursday :: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Friday :: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday :: Closed
Sunday :: Closed
Privacy Policy
- ear nose throat Ballarat collects and holds personal health information about you.
- ear nose throat Ballarat collects information from you so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs.
- All members of the professional team involved in your care will have access to your personal information.
This means we may use and disclose the information you provide in the following ways:
- Disclosure to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors, pathology services, radiology services and other specialists outside this medical practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following the
referrals. - Disclosure to enable recording on medical registers where applicable (e.g. the diabetes or pap smear register).
- Administrative purposes in running our medical practice, including our insurer or medical indemnity provider, and quality assurance and accreditation bodies.
- Billing purposes, including providing information to your health insurance fund, the Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) and other organisations or persons responsible for the financial aspects of your care.
- Conducting research, however, you will be informed when such activities are being conducted and given the opportunity to “opt-out” of any involvement.
- Assisting with training and education of other health professionals.
In most cases we will obtain the information directly from you or your treating Doctors.
Information Quality
Our goal is to ensure that your information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. To assist us with this, please contact us if any of the details you have provided change. Further, if you believe that the information we have about you is not accurate or complete, contact us and we will use all reasonable efforts to correct the information.
Storage
We will take all reasonable steps to protect the security of the personal information that we hold. This includes appropriate measures to protect electronic data and data stored and generated in hard copy.
Access to your personal information
Access will be provided in accordance with our Access Policy. If you require access to your personal information please contact our Practice Manager.
Contract
On occasion we do contract out processing functions and, we take measures to protect the information through contract obligations and confidentiality agreements.
Legal reasons why we collect the personal information
Some information we collect is in order to comply with our legal obligations e.g. Mandatory Reporting, Medicare requirements, or Accreditation requirements.
What happens if you choose not to provide the information
You are not obliged to give us your personal information. However, if you choose not to provide ear nose throat Ballarat with the personal details as required we may not be able to provide you with the full range of our services.
Treatment of Children
The rights of children to the privacy of their health information, based on the professional judgement of the doctor and consistent with law, might restrict access to the child’s information by parents or guardians.
Complaints
If you have any complaints about our privacy practices or wish to make a complaint about how your personal information is managed please address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager. All complaints will be dealt with fairly and as quickly as possible.