Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters to us. This policy explains, in plain terms, how Tailored Plastic Surgery collects, uses, stores and protects your personal and health information. If you have any questions, please call us on 1300 532 956 or email reception@tailoredplasticsurgery.com.

Tailored Plastic Surgery is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information entrusted to us by our patients, prospective patients, employees, contractors and other individuals. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information and how we comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). As a medical practice, we recognise that health information is particularly sensitive and take additional steps to protect the privacy of our patients.

What information do we collect?

Depending on our relationship with you and the services we provide, we may collect and hold personal information and health information.

Personal information may include your name, date of birth, address, telephone numbers, email address, emergency contact details, Medicare and private health insurance details, billing and payment information, appointment information, correspondence and communications with the practice, and information required for administrative and business purposes.

Health information may include your medical history, current and previous medical conditions, medications and allergies, clinical notes, consultation records, diagnoses, treatment plans, surgical information, pathology, imaging and other investigation results, specialist and other healthcare provider reports, photographs and clinical images (including before-and-after photographs where applicable), and information relating to your physical or psychological health and your treatment and recovery.

Health information is classified as sensitive information under Australian privacy law and is subject to additional privacy protections.

How do we collect information?

Where reasonably practicable, we collect personal information directly from you, for example during consultations, when you contact the practice by telephone, email or online enquiry, through patient registration and consent forms, through our website or online booking systems, through correspondence with you, and through clinical photographs, other investigations and our electronic medical record systems.

We may also collect information from your nominated representatives where appropriate, from other healthcare providers involved in your care, from hospitals, pathology providers, imaging providers or other relevant organisations, from your health insurer or Medicare where necessary, and from a person responsible for you where legally permitted. Where information is collected from a third party, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the collection is lawful and appropriate.

Why do we collect and use personal information?

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to provide medical and surgical care, assess and manage your health, make diagnoses and treatment decisions, coordinate your healthcare with other providers, arrange referrals, investigations and follow-up care, and maintain accurate medical records.

We also use it to manage appointments, process payments and accounts, process Medicare and private health insurance claims, and communicate with you about your treatment and appointments. Other purposes include meeting legal and regulatory obligations, managing complaints and incidents, quality assurance and clinical governance, practice administration and management, maintaining the security of our systems and premises, responding to emergencies or serious threats where permitted by law, and conducting research or quality improvement activities where permitted and appropriately authorised.

We will generally only use or disclose personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, or for another purpose permitted by law.

Consent

Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before collecting, using or disclosing sensitive information.

In a healthcare setting, consent may be express or, in appropriate circumstances, implied. We will ensure that consent is obtained appropriately for the circumstances and that patients understand what they are consenting to.

Separate consent may be required for particular activities, including the use of clinical photographs for purposes beyond providing healthcare.

Disclosure of information

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for the provision of healthcare or for another purpose permitted or required by law.

This may include disclosure to your treating doctors and specialists, general practitioners, hospitals, anaesthetists, nurses and other healthcare professionals, pathology and imaging providers, allied health professionals, pharmacies and other healthcare organisations involved in your care. It may also include private health insurers, Medicare, medical indemnity insurers, professional advisers, information technology and practice management providers, payment and billing providers, and government agencies and regulators where required or authorised by law.

We will only disclose information to third parties where permitted by applicable privacy legislation and, where required, with your consent.

Clinical photographs and images

Clinical photographs may form part of your medical record and may be collected where reasonably necessary for assessment, treatment, monitoring or documentation of your care. Photographs will be stored securely and treated as confidential health information.

Where photographs are proposed to be used for purposes outside your direct healthcare, such as education, training, presentations, publications, research or marketing, we will obtain appropriate consent before using or disclosing the photographs, unless otherwise permitted by law.

Consent for secondary use of photographs may be withdrawn, subject to any legal, clinical or practical limitations.

Direct marketing

We may communicate with patients about practice services, relevant health information or other matters where permitted under applicable privacy and marketing laws. Where required, we will provide an appropriate opportunity to opt out of receiving direct marketing communications. We will not use sensitive health information for direct marketing purposes unless permitted by law.