As an employee of Healthfocus Family Practice we are all bound by medical ethics. This means that information entrusted to you regarding patients, principals, your fellow employees or any office matter should be treated as strictly confidential and should not be discussed with others outside this office. This takes on new meaning under The Privacy Act.T his practice ensures the confidentiality of all patients’ personal health information according to the Privacy Act.
A copy of the privacy act is available here.
Patients are interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to ensure privacy. Discussion or consultation involving patients is conducted discretely.
Guidelines:
* We will not confirm nor deny the existence of any patient at this practice.
Interstaff – Public Areas< – Waiting rooms have ears! Voices should be kept low at all times throughout the office.
* Care should be taken when booking other appointments for a patient at the reception area, if necessary, take the patient to another area. * Care should also be taken when discussing patient information over the phone.
* Discussion regarding patients should be carried out within the office only when other patients are not in a position to overhear the conversation.
Employment at our surgery
Confidentiality at Healthfocus Family Practice means that anything discussed, heard, read or learned must remain a secret which is kept within the building, at all times. NO discussion can take place during or after employment about any situation which has happened during your time of employment.
Failure to observe and maintain this policy will result in instant dismissal and perusal of further legal action if it is found that ex-staff members have acted innapropriately, using confidential information, outside employment of Healthfocus Family Practice.
It is a condition of employment at this surgery that this rule be strictly observed.
All employees of Healthfocus Family Practice must sign a Confidentiality Agreement at commencement of employment.
This is on our website:
Healthfocus family practice takes the confidentiality and privacy of your information seriously. All your information is stored in a password protected database stored at the practice and backed up off site. The information is NOT stored online or on the cloud.
The information we collect about you and your family is never shared with anyone outside of the practice. The information is only accessed by our doctors in the practice where the information is necessary to provide a health service. Similarly, only the necessary information is accessed by our non-medical staff where the information is necessary as part of their duties in managing the practice.
Healthfocus family practice strictly adheres to the National Privacy Principles (NPP) as they apply to health agencies when collecting, accessing, using and disclosing personal information. The NPPs enable individuals to be aware of the purpose their personal information is held by health agencies, whilst the provision also provides an individual with the right to access and amend such information. These are the principles we adhere to:
· Our primary purpose for collecting health information is to provide healthcare services.
· We may use and disclose health information for that ‘primary’ purpose.
· Health information may be used or disclosed for another ‘secondary’ purpose where:
o the patient consents
o the patient would reasonably expect a use or disclosure related to their healthcare
o it is unreasonable to seek consent and the collection is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to life,
o health or safety of an individual or the public
o a reasonable belief exists that the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life,
o health or safety of another individual who is a genetic relative of the first individual
o granted power concerning health decisions), for compassionate reasons or to enable appropriate care or treatment of the patient.
· A practice may use or disclose health information as required or authorised by or under law.
· Practices are responsible for information disclosed overseas.
There are circumstances where secondary use or disclosure may be acceptable, such as:
· for research purposes where it is impracticable to seek consent from the individual
· for the prevention or lessening of a serious threat to the health and safety of either an individual or the public
· for investigation and/or reporting of suspected unlawful activity where it may be suspected that such activity is continuing to occur
· where personal information is required to accord the process of natural justice
· where an enforcement body may require the personal information for the preparation or conduct of court or tribunal proceedings
· information required by statutory provisions subject to use and disclosure of personal information;
You have the right to access your medical information but that is subject to the cost of providing that access.