Privacy Policy
Current as of: 11th August 2025
Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within Family Doctors at Ferny, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.
Who can I contact about this policy?
For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact Family Doctors at Ferny on 07 3351 5111 or email us at manager@familydoctorsatferny.com.au.
When and why is your consent necessary?
When you register as a patient of this practice, you provide consent for the GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information to facilitate the delivery of healthcare. Access to your personal information is restricted to practice team members who require it for your care. If we ever use your personal information for purposes other than outlined in this document, we will obtain additional consent from you. Please read this privacy policy carefully, your use of any part of our website and services will constitute your consent to the collection, processing, storage, disclosure, and other uses of your personal information in accordance with the privacy policy. If you do not agree with any part of the privacy policy, please do not visit our website, or use our services.
Consent to collect a patient’s personal and medical information may also be obtained from the patient’s guardian or power of attorney where it is necessary, this is only done when a patient is unable to provide the information themselves.
It is important to us that as our patient, you understand why we collect and use your personal information.
By acknowledging this Privacy Policy you consent to us collecting, holding, using, retaining and disclosing your personal information in the manners described below.
Why do we collect, use, store, and share your personal information?
Our practice collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information primarily to manage your health safely and effectively. This includes providing healthcare services, managing medical records, and ensuring accurate billing and payments. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding, and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. Additionally, we may utilise your information for internal quality and safety improvement processes such as practice audits, accreditation purposes, and staff training to maintain high-quality service standards.
What personal information is collected?
The information we will collect about you includes your:
- names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
- medical information including medical history, medicines, allergies, and adverse reactions immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
- Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
- healthcare identifier numbers
- health fund details.
- Medications you take
- Your next of kin or emergency contact details including your power of attorney or any other person responsible for your healthcare decisions.
- Family doctors at Ferny may also collect your Medicare care card details, any pension card or government issued concession cards, DVA, private health care cover and your entitlement to any benefits.
Definition of a Patient Health Record
Our practice collects the following information from you, and this than makes up your patient health record, we store all this information electronically.
- contact and demographic information
- medical history
- notes on treatment
- observations
- correspondence
- investigations
- test results photographs
- prescription records
- prescription records
- insurance information
- legal information and reports
- work health and safety reports
Can you deal 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.
However, it is not usually practicable for Family Doctors at Ferny to deal with you anonymously or pseudonymously on an ongoing basis as a regular patient of Family Doctors at Ferny.
How is personal information collected?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration form, including full name, date of birth, address, and contact details. There is also a consent form attached to the registration form that outlines how we collect and store your personal and health information; it is signed at the time you register at the practice.
During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Your medical information can also be collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions, My Health Record, eg via Shared Health Summary, and via previous Medical Centres you have attended sending us your medical records via secure transmission e.g. directly to us via Medical Objects.
We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:
your guardian or responsible person
other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).
- While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected via:
- electronic prescribing
- My Health Record
- online appointments.
Various types of images may be collected and used, including:
- CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purpose, we do not collect or save any CCTV footage.
- Photos and medical images: These can be taken using personal devices for medical purposes, following the guidelines outlined in our guide on using personal devices for medical images.
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
- with third parties for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
- with other healthcare providers (e.g. In referral letters)
- when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
- when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
- to assist in locating a missing person
- to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
- for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
- When it is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
- When it is provision of medical services, through electronic prescribing, My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than while 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.
Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.
Family Doctors at Ferny may also need to share your personal information to other healthcare professionals who are involved in your care including specialists, allied health providers, dentists, podiatrists, physiotherapists, ambulance service and nurses. This would only happen in ways that are reasonable or otherwise with your consent.
- when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
• to assist in locating a missing person
• to establish, exercise or defend an Medico Legal Claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some communicable diseases require mandatory notification)
Third party contractors who work with the practice may also need access to your information and may include but not be limited to accreditation agencies, IT providers and any other parties who work with our practice. These third parties are still required to comply with the APPs and our practice privacy policy.
Will your information be used for marketing purposes?
The practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying the practice in writing.
How is your information used to improve services?
The practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients through research, analysis of patient data for quality improvement and for training activities with the practice team. Before we would do any of this we would be getting your consent.
We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. If we provide this information to other organisations patients cannot be identified from the information we share, the information is secure and is stored within Australia. You can let reception staff know if you do not want your de-identified information included.
At times, general practices are approached by research teams to recruit eligible patients into specific studies which require access to identifiable information. You may be approached by a member of our practice team to participate in research. Researchers will not approach you directly without your express consent having been provided to the practice. If you provide consent, you would then receive specific information on the research project and how your personal health information will be used, at which point you can decide to participate or not participate in the research project.
How are document automation technologies used?
Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to medical conditions and healthcare.
The practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals, which are sent to other healthcare providers. These documents contain only your relevant medical information and only relevant patient information is sent in the referral.
These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software Medical Objects.
All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and password and can only access information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
The practice complies with the Australian privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
All data, both electronic and paper are stored and managed in accordance with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Privacy and managing health information guidance.
How are Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribes used?
The practice DOES NOT USE an AI scribe tool to support GPs take notes during their consultations with you.
How is your personal information stored and protected?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. Family Doctors at Ferny collects and holds your personal information in electronic form, any administration forms that are in paper form and any paper form of correspondence that we receive is scanned into your medical record and then securely destroyed by shredding. The practice does not keep the films of x rays, or hard copies of CT, MRI images it is the responsibility of the patient to keep them, we only keep the electronic report in your medical record. Documented photos are also stored in your medical record.
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
Our practice maintains and securely stores your personal information by using security measures in the form of password protected information systems. This is done using passwords, secure cabinets, and all staff and contractors signing confidentiality agreements. We also maintain computer and network security using firewalls and is maintained and checked by our IT support service. We also perform regular backups which are encrypted and held of site securely in the case of fire, flood etc.
How can you access and correct your personal information at the practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put your request in writing and send it to us via email or post it will need your signature on it as well and our practice will respond within a reasonable time. The practice will respond within 30 days to your request, there is no charge associated with requesting access to your medical record however in some circumstances we will require you to come into the practice to collect your medical record or the doctor may want to see you first to go through them with you and then release them.
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing or writing to attention the practice manager and this can be emailed to manager@familydoctorsatferny.com.au or via post to Family Doctors at Ferny, 1304 Samford Road, Ferny Grove QLD 4055.
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at the practice?
We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing to our privacy officer. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure. Please send your privacy concerns in writing to the Privacy Officer (Practice Manager) Family Doctors at Ferny, 1304 Samford Road, Ferny Grove QLD 4055. Once we have received your letter, we will then manage the complaint and contact you within 30 days of receiving it to resolve the complaint.
Once we have received your complaint, we will pass it onto our Privacy Officer who will then investigate your complaint and endeavor to resolve your complaint promptly, you will also be contacted within 14days depending on the complexity of the complaint and what must be done to resolve it for you.
You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
You may also contact The Office of the Health Ombudsman, PO Box 13281 George St, Brisbane. Qld 4003 or phone 133646 or e-mail: complaints@oho.qld.gov.au
Destroying Of Personal Information
Family Doctors at Ferny will keep your personal information for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last entry and 25 years of age for a child as this complies with current legislation. Personal information that is no longer needed will be destroyed or de – identified.
How is privacy on the website maintained?
You can visit our website without identifying yourself. If you identify yourself by providing your personal details via our website enquiries page, any personal information you provide to Family Doctors at Ferny will be managed via our privacy policy.
Family Doctors at Ferny websites use cookies. A ‘cookie’ is a small file stored on your computer’s browser, which assists in managing customised settings of the website and delivering content. We collect certain information such as your device type, browser type, IP address, pages you accessed on our website and on third-party websites. You are not identifiable from such information. At different times we may contact you for feedback and for the purpose of recalls or reminders of your required appointments e.g., check-ups, skin checks, vaccinations etc
If you refuse to accept cookies by selecting the appropriate setting on your internet browser, you may not be able to use the full functionality of our websites.
If you use our website and social media page, we encourage you to not send us any personal information via these sources as they are not monitored, and our preferred method of contact is via our email or direct contact. Family Doctors at Ferny do not provide medical advice via our e-mail and our website is general advice only. Please contact your doctor for any medical advice that you require.
For your convenience and to improve the usage of the websites and services we may insert links to third-party websites, or other resources, our Privacy Policy does not apply to these third-party sites or resources. Family Doctors at Ferny is not responsible for these third parties and if you access these sites, you do so at your own risk. Please make sure you read the privacy polices of every site you visit/use. If we have links to third party websites or resources, please be aware that this does not mean Family Doctors at Ferny endorses them.
Our Privacy Policy does not cover the use of cookies by any third parties or third-party websites you may visit or resources you may access.
Please feel free to contact us with any concerns or questions you may have regarding this privacy policy, or to request or update your personal information on the below details:
Family Doctors at Ferny
Privacy Officer
1304 Samford Road
Ferny Grove
QLD 4055
Ph: 07 3351 5111
manager@familydoctorsatferny.com.au
Policy review statement
Our privacy policy is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with current obligations.
If any changes are made:
- They will be reflected on the website.
- Significant changes may be communicated directly to patients via email, practice newsletter and or other means.
- Printed hard copies are also available from our receptionist via request.
Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.