Centre for Infertility Solutions takes its obligations under the Victorian Health Records Act 2001 and the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 seriously and takes all reasonable steps in order to comply and protect the privacy of personal information.
Centre for Infertility Solutions collects and holds personal health information about you.
This information enables us to properly assess, diagnose, treat your illnesses and be proactive in your health care needs. The information we may ask you maybe very personal but not having this information may restrict our capacity to provide you with the standard of medical care that you expect.
All members of the 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:
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 been not accurate, complete or up-to-date, contact us and we will use all reasonable efforts to correct the information.
The storage, use and, where necessary, the transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects patient privacy.
We will take all reasonable steps to protect the security of the personal information that we hold. This includes appropriate measures to protect electronic materials stored and those generated in hard copy. Even if you leave the practice, we are still required to keep patient information for as long as required by law i.e. 7 years or more after your last appointment depending on your age.
You are not obliged to provide us your personal information. However, if you choose not to provide Centre for Infertility Solutions with your personal details such as name, address, date of birth etc we may not be able to provide you with the full range of our services.
Patients have a general right of access to all health information held about them.
The following is a list of the health information to which individuals have a right to access:
Centre for Infertility Solutions is required to provide the individual with access in the format requested by the individual.
Centre for Infertility Solutions could refuse access if:
If access is refused on the grounds of serious threat to the patients’ life or health, the patient can ask for a second opinion – this process is described in the Complaint Handling Process section.
The doctor may choose not to provide access where:
Where there are direct inconsistencies between the Victorian Health Records Act and the Commonwealth Privacy Act, the Commonwealth law will prevail.
Patients do not have to give reasons for requesting access.
The privacy legislation does not require immediate handing over of a record or a test result. Access should however be provided within a reasonable time (no longer than 45 days to 30 days).
If a patient requests access to a test result (whether before the doctor has had the opportunity of consulting with the patient, or after) the doctor should handle this situation in accordance with usual clinical practice. A hard copy of test results may be given to the patient after consultation with their doctor.
Where a patient requests access to a test report from 12 months (or more) ago, after appropriate clinical investigations had occurred, the request should still be referred to the doctor to handle in accordance with usual clinical practice.
Where a patient requests more detailed access, for example a copy of the entire file or a chance to view a large portion of the file, this would normally require written application for access as described below.
If the patient requests a copy of the file, then Centre for Infertility Solutions must comply – an accurate summary can only be supplied.
The original records are the property of Centre for Infertility Solutions.
There are some circumstances in which access is restricted, and in these cases reasons for denying access will be explained.
Patients can only be given access to their medical record while their doctor is present to explain and discuss the record. No patient will be allowed unsupervised access to their record.
The request should initially be referred to the patient’s GP or Specialist, who will determine whether the information can be provided ‘simply, freely and easily’, or whether to ask the patient to complete a written request for access to their medical records
Where the GP or Specialist decides that a more formal level of access is required, the GP or Specialist shall ask the patient to write to the Centre for Infertility Solutions specifically requesting what they require
Examples of information that could be provided ‘simply, freely and easily’ might be a list of current medications, a copy of a test result, or a summary of medical conditions
If the patient needed to see the GP or Specialist for other reasons this could perhaps be dealt with during a standard consultation, in which case no additional charge would apply. If the patient did not need to see the GP or Specialist a standard fee (described below) would apply.
The types of access available, and relevant costs are outlined below.
A range of fees (as set by the Health Records Act) are payable to cover Centre for Infertility Solutions’ costs in providing access.
If a patient finds that the information held on them is not accurate or complete, the patient may have that information amended accordingly by their Specialist
Doctors may be obliged to disclose patient information relating to adverse outcomes to their Medical Defence Organisation, insurer, medical experts or lawyers, without obtaining patient consent, so long as the disclosure is within the reasonable expectations of the patient.
Brochures entitled “Managing a Complaint” are available in the main reception waiting room.
GPO Box 5057
10–16 Queen Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/
Phone: 1300-666-444
Fax: +61-3-8619-8700
Email: enquiries@privacy.vic.gov.au
Website: www.privacy.vic.gov.au
Hotline: 1300 582 113
www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc
Fax: 03 9032 3111
Email: hsc@hcc.vic.gov.au
Level 26
570 Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
When advised that access has been refused on the grounds of serious threat to the individual’s life or health, the individual can ask for a ‘second opinion’. The individual may nominate any health service provider who has consented to being nominated.
Centre for Infertility Solutions must accept this nomination if they provide the same kind of service as a SPECIALIST and have the ability to interpret and understand the health information. The clinic must give a copy of the file to the nominated health service provider within 14 days. That person then looks at the file, discusses it with the usual doctor at Centre for Infertility Solutions, and makes a decision as to whether it poses a threat
to the individual’s life or health. If the second opinion is that there is no threat, access must be provided in the form of inspection, but a copy does not have to be provided.
I understand/acknowledge that the controller of my personal data is Centre for Infertility Solutions with its registered office in Suite 4, 252-256 Clayton Road, CLAYTON VIC 3168. I understand/acknowledge that my personal data shall be processed and transmitted in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Your health data is stored on an Australian compliant server. Authorised personnel are allowed secure, verified access to this data to aid in the provision of services to you.
