Privacy

Please review the privacy statement for Greenwich Specialist Consulting Rooms patients.

Standard Policy

This practice is committed to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and all amendments to the Act. The practice will ensure respect for consumer privacy in handling all patient information. All reasonable steps will be taken to comply with the Act.

The primary purpose of collecting information is to provide an holistic approach to patient healthcare.

GSCR will collect information deemed necessary for management of holistic and therapeutic care. Where practicable this information will be collected with the patient’s consent.

Generally patient information will not be used for any other purpose or shared without their consent; there may be circumstances where information is disclosed for the primary purpose of the collection.

GSCR will take all reasonable steps to ensure patient information is accurate and up to date.

Patients may request access to their personal health information; although there may be circumstances where this access is denied.

The Management is responsible for maintaining the security of patient records and clear staff access, with confidentiality agreements in place.

Patient Information

Our Privacy Policy is developed to suit your health care need and the delivery of services that we offer you.

The provision of quality health care is our principle concern.  It requires a therapeutic relationship of trust and confidentiality.  Your mental health service provider regards patient health information as confidential and will generally collect this information with patient consent.

A patient’s personal information is handled in accordance with this provider’s privacy policy and consistent with the privacy legislation. Patients are entitled to know what personal information is held about them; how and under what circumstances they may have access to it ; why it is held; its use; to whom and under what circumstances it may be disclosed; when consent is required for these purposes; and how it is stored.

Every effort will be made to discuss these matters with patients at the time personal health information is collected from patients attending this provider.  Because there will be occasions when it is not practicable to make patients aware of these matters at the time of collection, this brochure is designed to outline how this service provider endeavours to protect the privacy of patients’ personal health information.

Collection, Use and Disclosure of your Information

Information about a patient’s medical and family health history is needed to provide accurate medical diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  We will be fair in the way we collect information about our patients.  This information will generally be collected with patient consent.  However, from time to time we may receive patient information from their carers and key family members amongst others.  When this occurs we will, wherever possible, make sure the patient knows we have received this information.

We acknowledge that family members and carers have legitimate concerns about the patient’s health care.  We will discuss with the patient the benefits of sharing information where appropriate, with the patient’s preferred family members and carers.  The sharing of this information requires the patient’s consent.

Mental health requires full knowledge of patient health information by all members of the treating team.  To ensure quality and continuity of patient care, a patient’s health information has to be shared with other health care providers from time to time.  Some information about patients is also provided to Medicare, and private health insurance funds if relevant, for billing and medical rebate purposes.

Mental health service providers in this practice are members of various medical and professional bodies including medical defence organizations. There may be occasions when disclosure of patient information is required for medical purposes.

Medical records are not used for any marketing purposes.

There are also circumstances where, for example, a medical practitioner is legally bound to disclose personal information.  An example of this is the mandatory reporting of communicable diseases.

It is necessary for us to keep patient’s information after their last attendance at this practice for as long as it is required by law or it is prudent having regard to administrative requirements. Records are destroyed in a secure manner.

Access

In the course of providing mental health care your treating provider is likely to record not only factual material, but also their personal thoughts and comments that arise out of the therapeutic session.  A patient generally has a right to access their health information.  In the interests of maintaining the therapeutic relationship between you and your treating provider, it may be necessary to discuss with you restrictions on your access to these personal thoughts and comments.  We are happy to discuss with you the nature and manner of access by you to your personal information.  Carer or key family member’s access to your person information is in strict accordance with special criteria, please ask if you would like more information, but we may need to clarify the scope of your request so that an appropriate form of access can be provided.

There are some circumstances in which access may be denied, for example where the access poses a serious threat to the life or health of a person, but in such an event we will let you know the reason.  Occasionally, access to them notes may interfere with the therapeutic process, and pose a serious threat to myour health as a result.

If a patient finds that the information held on them is not accurate or complete, the patient may request to have that information amended.  The mental health service provider will take reasonable steps to correct the information.  The provider would generally attach comments to the record noting the corrected information rather than permanently erasing details form the health record.

Upon request a patient’s health information held by mental health service providers will be made available to another health service provider.

Parents/Guardians and Children

The right of children to privacy of their health information, based on the professional judgement of the provider and consistent with the law, might at times restrict access to this information by parents or guardians.  On the other hand, we might suggest that the child or young adult involve their parent or guardian in decisions as to how the health information will be
handled.

Complaints

It is important to us that your expectations about the way in which we handle your information are the same as ours.

Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issues related to the privacy of your personal information with your provider or the Practice Manager, Judy Evans.

If you are still dissatisfied you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner whose contact details are:

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2000

Privacy Hotline: 1300 363 992
Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Further information about an individual’s privacy rights can be obtained from the Office of the Federal Commissioner at the above address.

Psychiatrists

View the range of Psychiatrists working at Greenwich Specialist Consulting Rooms.

Contact Information

Locate us or get in touch with Greenwich Specialist Consulting Rooms staff.

Useful Links

View a range of useful links often utilised by our patients and family members.