The practice of Dr Christopher Love takes its obligations under the Victorian Health Records Act 2001 and the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 seriously and would like to take all reasonable steps in order to comply and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold. This policy sets out how we intend to so.

Collection of Information.

Dr. Christopher Love collects and holds personal health information about you. Dr. Christopher Love collects information from you so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs. All members of the professional team involved in your care will have access to your personal information. This means that we may use and disclose the information you provide in the following ways:

• Disclosure to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors, pathology services, radiology services and other specialists outside this medical practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following the referrals.
• Disclosure to enable recording on medical registers (example the Australian Cancer or Communicable disease registers).
• Administrative purposes in running our medical practice, including our insurer or medical indemnity provider and quality assurance and accreditation bodies.
• Billing purposes, including providing information to your health insurance fund, the Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) and other organizations responsible for the financial aspects of your care.
• Conducting research.
• Assisting with training and education of other health professionals.
• In most cases we will obtain the information directly from you or your treating Doctors.

Information Quality

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 is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, contact us and we will use all reasonable efforts to correct the information.

Storage

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 and materials stored and generated in hard copy.

Access to your personal information

Access will be provided in accordance with our Access Policy. If you require access to your personal information please contact our Privacy Officer.

Contract

We do not contract our data storage or processing functions.

Legal reasons why we collect personal information

Some information we collect is in order to comply with our legal obligations.

What happens if you chose not to provide the information?

You are not obligated to give us your personal information. However, if you choose not to provide Dr Christopher Love with your personal details we may not be able to provide you with the full range of our services.

Complaints

If you have any complaints about our privacy practices or wish to make a complaint about how your personal information is managed please contact our Privacy Officer. All complaints will be dealt with fairly and as quickly as possible.

A privacy complaint relates to your personal information. This could include matters such as how personal information is collected, stored, used, disclosed or how access is provided. We prefer that your complaint be in writing.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of our handling of your complaint you may contact the Victorian Health Services Commissioner or the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

Dr Christopher Love Medical Record Access Policy

The purpose of this policy is to set out how Dr Christopher Love will provide access to your personal information. The policy is part of our Privacy Policy and our desire to provide for, maintain and give effect to your right to privacy.

Overriding principles

At all times the conduct under this Policy will be governed by the following principles:

• all requests for access will be treated seriously;
• all requests will be dealt with promptly;
• all requests will be dealt with in a confidential manner.

Form of Access

Dr Christopher Love will provide access by allowing you to inspect, take notes of or receive copies or printouts of the personal information that Dr Christopher Love holds about you.

You can make your request in writing by filling out the form supplied by us. To obtain access you will have to provide proof of your identity. This is necessary to ensure that personal; information is provided only to the correct individuals and that the privacy of other is not undermined.

When will Access be Denied?

Access will be denied if;

• The request does not relate to the personal information of the person making the request;
• Providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to life or health of a person;
• Providing access would create an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
• The request is frivolous and vexatious;
• The request relates to legal proceedings between Dr Christopher Love and you;
• Providing access would prejudice negotiations with the individual making the request;
• Access would be unlawful;
• Denial of access is authorised or required by law;
• Access would prejudice law enforcement activities;
• Access discloses a “commercially sensitive” decision making process or information ; or
• information; or
• Any other reason that is provided for in the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs) set out in the Victorian Health Records Act and the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) set out under the Commonwealth Privacy Act.

Where possible, Dr Christopher Love will favour providing access. It may do so by providing access to the appropriate parts of, and not the entire record.

Time

We will take reasonable steps to provide access with 45 days of your request.

Costs and Charges

Dr Christopher Love will, where possible, impose the charges in accordance with the Victorian Health Records Act and the Health Records Regulations. Please ask us about these fees.

Patient Consent Clause

We require your consent to enable us to handle personal information about you. Please read the privacy policy carefully, and sign where indicated . If you have any concerns or queries about this, feel free to ask us for a further explanation

FEE SCHEDULE FOR ACCESS

1. To consult with Privacy Officer and review file $40 for the first 15 minutes. $1 per minute thereafter (not rebatable)
2. To review history and document with Dr. Love $120 for up to 15 minutes (not rebatable)
3. Photocopies $2 per page