Port Melbourne Medical Privacy Policy
Current as of 10th June, 2025
Introduction
The objective of this document is to provide you with clear information on how your personal
information is collected and used within the practice when you see your GP at this site. Occasionally we
or your GP 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 Manager-Port Melbourne Medical
405 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, 3207
Phone 03 8686 0500 or email manager@portmelbournemedical.com.au
When and why is your consent necessary?
When you register as a patient here, you provide consent to your GP/s consulting from Port Melbourne
Medical 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 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. We only collect and use your personal information in ways that
are fair, reasonable, and not unexpected in the delivery of your healthcare.
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, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
- Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
- healthcare identifiers
- 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 staff 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 through Hotdoc or other
booking platforms if applicable, 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. This may be via letters, electronic secure messaging, faxes, email or phone calls.
- Scripts, referrals or other requests made by you
- Your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (if relevant).
- Insurance companies, lawyers, employers.
- While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected with your consent via:
- electronic prescribing
- My Health Record
Various types of images may be collected and used, including:
- CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purposes
- Photos and medical images: These can be taken with your express consent, to facilitate a second opinion, or to store images for monitoring skin lesions or similar using DermEngine, or to show baseline images. These are uploaded and stored in our clinical software or securely on our server.
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 there 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).
- electronic referrals to medical practitioners, allied health, pharmacists, radiology requests, pathology requests.
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of
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.
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.
We may use the email address provided to send clinic or clinical updates for the purpose of education.
You have the option to opt out at any time. Your email address is not provided to any third parties for
marketing purposes. Any analytics or targeting via third-party platforms is not used for marketing.
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. This will not affect the quality of your care.
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 may use an AI scribe tool to support GPs during their consultations with you to take notes.
The tool uses an audio recording of your consultation to generate a clinical note for your health record.
AI is used solely for internal note-taking. Patients will be informed and will need to consent for when AI
is being used.
The scribe service used here is MBS Pro.
With MBS Pro, the patient consultation audio recording is not stored. The transcription, summary and
clinical documentation are automatically deleted from the servers securely after 72 hours, or sooner
depending on the doctors settings. Retention of your de-identified information for the purpose of
analytics and product improvement purposes is only with express consent from you.
The practice will only use data from our digital scribe service to provide healthcare to you.
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 BP Premier.
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 is your personal information stored and protected?
Your personal information may be stored at Port Melbourne Medical in various forms e.g. as paper
records, electronic records, visual records (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos). This includes health
information, demographics, images, photos, and other relevant information collected in the ordinary
course of managing your healthcare needs. We may record phone calls for quality and training
purposes. You will be advised if this is occurring and given the option to not participate.
Our practice stores all personal information securely. This is securely stored in an electronic format, in
protected information systems in a secured environment. All staff and contractors have signed
confidentiality agreements. All passwords are stored securely and are changed regularly.
In addition the practice has lockable filing cabinets, extensive CCTV and is monitored by security afterhours.
How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Port Melbourne Medical acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We
require you to put this request in writing and send to the following:
The Manager-Port Melbourne Medical
405 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, 3207.
The Practice Manager will respond within 30 days on receipt on the request. Requests will incur an
administration fee in accordance with the specified fees in the Health Records Act 2001.
Port Melbourne Medical will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the
information is not accurate or up to date. If you believe that the information held is not correct or up to
date, you can contact us in writing, or discuss this with your doctor. You may be contacted to verify your
identity, and photographic identification may be required. The Practice Manager will respond within 30
days on receipt on the request.
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 above address or email:
manager@portmelbournemedical.com.au
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at PMM?
We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns
you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution
procedure.
Privacy concerns should be addressed as follows:
The Manager-Port Melbourne Medical
405 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, 3207
Phone 03 8686 0500.
Or
manager@portmelbournemedical.com.au
Port Melbourne Medical will endeavor to respond to any complaint within 30 days if not sooner.
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.
In the event of a data breach involving personal information that is likely to cause serious harm, we will promptly notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
How is privacy on the website maintained?
At Port Melbourne Medical, any personal information you share with us through website, email, and
social media, is handled securely and confidentially. This practice may use 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.