Privacy Policy

Metella Rd Family Practice Privacy Policy

Current as of: August 2025

The objective of this document is to provide you, our patient, with clear information on how your personal information is collected and used within the practice. Occasionally we also need to share your personal information to involve others in your healthcare and this policy outlines when, how, and why we share your information.

Who can I contact about this policy?

For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact The Practice Manager – info@mrfp.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.

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?

The 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. 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.

Can you deal with us anonymously?

You can 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.

How is personal information collected?

The practice may collect your personal information in several different ways:

When you make your first appointment, the practice team will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.

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, including:

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 (if relevant).

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

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).
We will always comply with privacy obligations when collecting personal information from third party sources. This includes ensuring transparency with patients, obtaining necessary consents, maintaining data accuracy, securing the information and using it only for specific purposes.

Only people who need to access your personal information will be able to do so. Other than providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, the practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

We do not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

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

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.

These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software Best Practice.

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 uses an AI scribe tool to support GPs take notes during their consultations with you. The AI scribe uses an audio recording of your consultation to generate a clinical note for your health record. The practice AI scribe service is Heidi.

Heidi:

does not share information outside of Australia
destroys the audio file once the transcription is complete.
retains sensitive, personal identifying information as part of the transcription

The practice will only use data from our digital scribe service to provide healthcare to you.

How is your personal information stored and protected?

Your personal information may be stored in various forms.

Your personal information is stores on our encrypted data base. We use passwords and varies access levels on our data base to limit access and protect electronic information from unauthorised interference or access. If we receive any of your personal information in a paper based format, we will scan your information into your record, on our secure data base and then shred the paper document using a cross shredder at our Practice. XRays, CT scans and MRI scans are stored securely in our reception area, We will contact you to collect your scans. Scans should be collected in a timely manner.

The practice stores all personal information securely.

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We hold your information on our premises and secure our premises with locks and a back to base alarm system. We hold your information in an encrypted data base, which is further protected by passwords and varying levels of access.

Our staff sign a confidentiality agreement and are aware of penalties if these agreements are breached.

Our Practice has document retention and destruction policies in place,

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.

The practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records.

We require you to put this request in writing and either post, email or hand your request in person to the front desk. You will then be required to fill in the Practice “Request for Information” form. Our Practice will respond to your request within 30 days. There may be a fee for the administrative cost of retrieving and providing you with copies of your medical records.

If you request your personal information be sent to you or other parties by using Email, your information will be password protected. You will be the only person the password is given to.

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 to

The Practice Manager

Phone 02 9636 2878

135 Metella Rd Toongabbie 2146

Email: info@mrfp.com.au

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. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with the resolution procedure. Please contact the Practice – 135 Metella Rd Toongabbie 2146, Ph 02 9636 2878 or email us info@mrfp.com.au

We will respond to your concern within 30 days.

If you do not feel we have resolved your issue You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will require you to give them time to respond before they investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner) on 1300 363 992.

How is privacy on the website maintained?

General questions can be directed to the Practice using email. You can expect a response to your query within 7 business days. MRFP will not initiate any transmission of your information using email, unless communication is initiated by you. To protect your privacy your consent will be required and your email address verified. All personal information transmitted by email is password protected. Information on our website is information for our patients.

At Metella Rd Family Practice, any personal information you share with us through website, email, and social media, is handled securely and confidentially. This practice uses analytics and cookies.

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 or other means.

Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Back to previous page