Privacy Policy

This policy should be read in conjunction with our Terms and Conditions policy.

1. Introduction

  • North Brisbane Psychologists (NBP) has adopted this Policy in accordance with privacy laws.
  • This Policy specifies how NBP handles Personal Information, which we collect in order to conduct our Services.
  • In the course of delivering our Services and communicating with the public, NBP may also collect information about Individuals who do not use our Services.
  • Capitalised words in this Policy are defined terms. Defined terms are explained at the end of this Policy.

2. Collecting information directly from people

NBP collects Personal Information directly when an Individual:

  • contacts NBP by telephone, fax, email, Facebook or any other form of communication;
  • gives NBP his or her information in person, on paper, or in electronic form, including an online inquiry, a GP referral and new client intake form;
  • sends NBP a message through SMS or a third party app;
  • subscribes to our website;

NBP also collects Personal Information directly when:

  • NBP’s analytics service may log details about website visits and collect data for re-targeting purposes; and
  • NBP’s website places a cookie on an Individual’s device or store Individuals’ I.P. addresses.

3. Collecting information from third parties

With an Individual’s explicit permission, NBP records and collects Personal Information about Individuals from third parties when:

  • psychologists manage records about an Individual using our Services;
  • third parties (such as medical doctors) give NBP access to files containing Personal Information;
  • NBP is given written or verbal information from a family member, teacher, medical practitioner or health practitioner, EAP, a referring agency, or any other referral source; and
  • parents and guardians provide information about their children or children in their care.

4. Types of information that NBP collects and holds

Using processes described in this Policy, NBP collects the following categories of Personal Information about Individuals:

  • Content – may include whatever Personal Information is included in the content Individuals sharewhen using NBP’s Services;
  • Identity Information – may include name, signature, date of birth, nationality, license & registration details, Medicare details, private health insurance member details, family details, employment details, educational information;
  • Contact Information – may include email address, social media profile, telephone & fax numbers, residential and postal addresses;
  • Internet Data – webpage views, IP address, referring web site addresses, browser type, operating system, domain name, access times and other data typically collected by analytics services like Google.

5. Sensitive information

Privacy laws categorise certain types of Personal Information as “sensitive information”, including information (that is also Personal Information) about an Individual’s:

  • racial or ethnic background;
  • political opinions;
  • religious beliefs or affiliations;
  • philosophical beliefs;
  • criminal activity or records; and/or
  • sexual orientation and/or practices;

as well as Health information about an Individual, including:

  • any information or opinion about the Individual’s health and mental health status, health services provided, or wishes regarding health care; and
  • information collected to provide, or in providing, a health service of any kind.

NBP collects health information from Individuals in providing our Services. If Individuals disclose other sensitive information to psychologists, this may be included in records created by psychologists and sometimes managed by NBP. Individual psychologists, not NBP, take final responsibility for recording other sensitive information disclosed to them during appointments (i.e., case notes or other records). NBP may step in to manage such information if psychologists cease to act in association with NBP and/or their ethical requirements and may be required to hand over records to NBP upon termination.

6. How NBP stores Personal Information

NBP holds and stores Personal Information using:

  • Storage Services – third party data storage services including, but not limited to, Google email and apps, Cliniko (practice management software), National Australia Bank (NAB) for payment transactions, Facebook (business page messaging), and any other applications or software used for business operations;
  • NBP Devices – devices, such as mobile phones, operated by contractors and employees of NBP’s business; and
  • Paper Files – printed paper and files.

You may change your details at any time by advising us in person or in writing via email.

7. Security

NBP will take reasonable precautions to protect Personal Information from unauthorised access. This includes measures to secure NBP’s physical facilities and electronic networks. NBP secures Personal Information that NBP collects with requirements and agreements between NBP and employees and contractors.

NBP limits access to personal information to those with a valid and legitimate reason for using that information. NBP information storage includes security measures such as passwords, pins, encryption, session expiries, SSL network encryption, SSL certificate and website transmission encryption, the use of reputable vendors (e.g., Google, eFax and Cliniko), two-factor authentication, and physical destruction of paper documents once electronically uploaded.

NBP does not and will not store an Individual’s credit card information on any device or server. For more information on security, please contact NBP using the details listed below.

8. Deleting your information

NBP has certain obligations under Australian laws to retain some client information for a prescribed period of time (seven years or once the person turns 25, whichever occurs first).

Records relating to adult clients will be kept for seven years following the date of last contact.

If the client was aged under 18 years at date of last entry in the record, we must wait until that patient would have turned 25 years old before we can dispose of the record.

We do archive client files in particular circumstances. They can be reactivated at any time in the future if they re-engage. Situations where a client file is archived include, but are not limited to: death, transferred care to another practice, moved residential address, or at the request of the client. 

9. Why data is held, used and disclosed

NBP’s handling of Personal Information includes holding, using and sometimes sharing the Personal Information so that NBP can:

  • facilitate the creation of appointments with psychologists;
  • manage records about Individuals’ appointments, psychological health and treatment;
  • offer surveys or questionnaires;
  • transact with Individuals and process payments;
  • facilitate Medicare and health insurance claims;
  • assess and improve their Services; and
  • provide secure access to their Services.

For more information on when NBP shares Personal Information, see below.

10. Disclosing Personal Information

NBP shares Personal Information with others in the following ways:

  • facilitating the sharing of information about inquiries, bookings, processing Medicare rebates, invoices and payments;
  • sharing information with other health practitioners, parents/guardians, teaching staff, governmental institutions including Medicare and private healthcare insurers; and
  • sharing information with administration staff and business service providers.

11. Information requests: Family court orders and parent plans

NBP has a process for verifying the identify of any person requesting information in relation to a person under 18, if they are not the parent or caregiver that has initiated the engagement of our services.  NBP need to verify that person’s right to access information about a child with written evidence, to ensure that we only share information with people who are appropriately authorised to access this information about a child.

NBP’s requirements for processing information requests are:

  1. We need to receive copies of the following documents via email or post, from people that have not personally initiated the engagement of a child with our services, before we are able to communicate any information in relation to a person under 18 who is accessing our services:
  2. A clear scanned copy of your driver’s license or passport so we have evidence of your identity;
  3. A full copy of the family court order with your personal details as they appear on your proof of identity. Please indicate which section/s or clause/s describe accessing health information in relation to the child mentioned in the order;
  4. A letter from you stating your full name, date of birth, the child’s name and date of birth, your relationship to the child, and that you wish to request a written summary of health information in relation to this child, as well as the purpose for this request. Please note, we only provide written summaries in response to these requests.
  5. As the contents of a written summary takes a psychologist time to carefully prepare and check, and typically takes them 2 hours, we charge an information request service fee of $430 (2 hours @ our hourly rate of $215) to prepare and provide this summary.
  6. We need to receive full payment before commencing the preparation of this document. Your psychologist will provide account details to make a secure electronic funds transfer.
  7. We will provide the summary within 10 business days of receiving payment to prepare the document
  8. This summary is not an assessment or a report, as we have a company policy to not provide assessments or reports for family court and custody related purposes.
  9. We are bound by our professional code of ethics to maintain confidentiality of the child and the parent who has engaged treatment from us. As such, the summary will not contain records or transcripts of information any parties have communicated in confidence. The overview will discuss the findings of any assessments conducted, interventions provided, and recommendations that the treating psychologist has made regarding the child.

Note: All information requests must meet the requirements stated above, and if they don’t, we will not be able to provide information in relation to any person under 18. Further emails or calls from anyone requesting information will not remove the need to follow the processes outlined above, and any such communications will be ignored or reported to authorities if they are persistent or harassing in any way.

12. Access to Personal Information

When NBP uses the services of third party businesses in order to provide our Services, they may gain access to NBP’s data, including Personal Information. Such third party services may include:

NBP will only share Personal Information with these third parties to the extent necessary to perform their functions. These third parties typically have their own privacy and security policies. For more information about this, contact NBP using the details listed below.

13. Disclosing information overseas

NBP use other service providers for the purposes of administration, such as Google Email and Cliniko (clinic management software), who have data centres overseas in countries such as the USA and Ireland. Thus, NBP may store some Personal Information overseas. Individuals may not have the same rights relating to their information when it is overseas as they would under Australian privacy law.

By providing NBP with Personal Information, Individuals consent to the transfer of their Personal Information to overseas recipients as contemplated by this privacy policy. If Individuals consent to overseas transfer, NBP is not accountable for overseas recipients’ handling of their information.

By using reputable and large companies such as Google and Cliniko, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the Personal Information that we transfer to overseas recipients will not be held, used or disclosed by the recipient of the information.

14. Contacting us

Individuals can contact NBP if they want to access, correct or delete Personal Information, or lodge a complaint to NBP by contacting NBP Director and Privacy Officer via email: rachel@northbrisbanepsychologists.com.au

NBP reserves the right to refuse access or correction where reasonable grounds exist for doing so, such as when providing access would be unlawful or compromise the privacy of another person.

15. Complaints process

If Individuals have a complaint about privacy, they can contact NBP using the email listed above. NBP will respond to complaints in writing within a reasonable period (usually 10 business days from the day we receive an email).

NBP will try to work with Individuals to resolve complaints entirely within 20 business days, although that period may be longer if it is reasonable to take longer given the nature of the complaint.

If Individuals are unsatisfied with our response, they may refer the complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (http://www.oaic.gov.au/).

16. Amendment

NBP may amend this Privacy Policy at our discretion. Individuals who continue to use our Services after receiving notice from NBP of such an amendment, agree to be bound by the Privacy Policy as amended.

17. Definitions

Individual, Individuals

means a natural person, not a business entity or organisation.

Personal Information

means information about an Individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be established, from that information. This includes information like names, telephone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.

Policy, Policies

means this document, drafted in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

NBP

means North Brisbane Psychologists and its staff, associates and contractors.

Service, Services

means the following services:

  • managing inquiries from the public;
  • arranging appointments with psychologists, including face-to-face appointments, video-conferencing, telephone appointments, and work, home or school visits;
  • facilitating Medicare and private health insurance claims in relation to appointments;
  • facilitating payment for appointments; and
  • managing the documentation and records associated with appointments.

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