Privacy policy

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to Perioperative and Rehabilitation Older Adult Care Pty Ltd (ABN 88 699 323 478, ACN 699 323 478), referred to below as “we”, “us” or “the company”. It covers personal information we handle through this website, through enquiries and referrals, and in the course of providing perioperative, rehabilitation and older adult care services.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in that Act. As a provider of health services we are bound by the Privacy Act regardless of our annual turnover.

2. The kinds of information we collect

We collect only what we need in order to assess, plan and deliver care, or to answer an enquiry.

Personal information

• Name, date of birth, postal and residential address, email address and telephone number
• The name and contact details of a family member, carer, guardian or substitute decision-maker
• The details of other people involved in a person’s care, such as a general practitioner, surgeon or service provider

Health information (sensitive information under the Privacy Act)

• Medical and surgical history, planned or completed procedures, and admission details
• Medicines, allergies and adverse reactions
• Assessment findings covering mobility, falls, frailty, cognition, mood, nutrition and continence
• Rehabilitation goals, progress notes and discharge and follow-up plans

Website information

This website is a static site. It does not use analytics, advertising or tracking scripts, and it does not set cookies of its own. Our hosting provider may record standard server request information, such as an IP address, the page requested and the time of the request, for security and operational purposes. The enquiry form on the contact page does not transmit anything from this website — it opens a message in your own email program, which you send yourself.

3. How we collect information

Wherever it is reasonable and practicable, we collect personal information directly from the individual concerned. We may also collect it from a family member, carer or authorised representative, or from another health service provider or referrer, where the individual has consented or where collection is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act — for example where the individual is not physically or legally capable of giving consent and the information is needed to provide appropriate care.

4. Why we collect, hold and use information

• To assess a person’s readiness for surgery and their rehabilitation needs
• To prepare, deliver and review a plan of care
• To communicate with the person, their family or carer, and the other clinicians treating them
• To respond to enquiries and referrals received through this website or by email
• To maintain accurate clinical records and to manage the administration of our services
• To meet our obligations under Australian law, including record-keeping and reporting duties

We do not use personal information or health information for direct marketing, and we do not sell it to anyone.

5. Consent for sensitive information

Health information is sensitive information under APP 3. We collect it only with consent, unless the Privacy Act permits collection without consent — for example, in an emergency, or where it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of an individual. Consent may be withdrawn at any time by writing to us, although withdrawing consent may limit the care we are able to provide.

6. Who we disclose information to

With consent, we share what is clinically necessary with the people treating the person concerned. That may include:

• Their general practitioner, surgeon, anaesthetist and other specialists
• Hospital ward, discharge planning and allied health teams
• Home care, aged care and equipment providers involved in the plan
• A nominated family member, carer, guardian or substitute decision-maker

We may also disclose information where the Privacy Act or another Australian law requires or authorises it, including to a court, tribunal or regulator. We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients. Our website hosting and email routing services may involve servers located outside Australia; where that is the case we take reasonable steps to ensure information handled through those services is protected consistently with the APPs.

7. Storage, security and retention

Records are held in access-controlled electronic systems, and in secure physical storage where paper records exist. We take reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Access is limited to people who need it to do their work.

We retain health records for the period required by Australian law. For an adult, that is generally at least seven years from the date of the last entry. For a person who was under 18 at the time of the record, it is until they turn 25. Where a record is no longer needed and we are not required to keep it, we destroy it or de-identify it.

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will respond in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act, including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

8. Your rights: access and correction

Under APP 12 and APP 13 you may ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. Write to [email protected] and tell us what you are seeking.

We will ask you to verify your identity, or your authority to act for someone else. We aim to respond within 30 days. Access is free, although we may charge a reasonable cost for retrieving and copying a large volume of records. In limited circumstances set out in the Privacy Act we may refuse access or correction — for example where granting it would pose a serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety, or would unreasonably affect another person’s privacy. If we refuse, we will tell you why in writing and explain how to complain.

9. Anonymity and pseudonymity

You may make a general enquiry to us anonymously or under a pseudonym. We cannot deliver clinical care, prepare an assessment or communicate with other treating clinicians without knowing who the person is.

10. Making a privacy complaint

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information or breached the Australian Privacy Principles, please tell us first. Write to [email protected] with the details. We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate it and give you a written response, ordinarily within 30 days.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services or in the law. The current version is always the one published on this page, and the date at the top shows when it was last revised.

12. Contact

Privacy enquiries: [email protected]
Perioperative and Rehabilitation Older Adult Care Pty Ltd, Perth WA 6016, Australia
ABN 88 699 323 478 · ACN 699 323 478