1. Introduction
This privacy policy explains how Worldciti Medical collects, uses, holds, and discloses your personal and health information. Our practice operates in strict accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). We are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your medical information and ensuring it is handled responsibly.
2. Why Your Consent is Necessary
When you register as a patient at Worldciti Medical, you provide consent for our General Practitioners (GPs) and practice staff to access and use your personal and sensitive health information so they can provide you with the highest quality medical care and treatment. Only authorized staff members who need to see your information will have access to it.
3. What Personal Information Do We Collect?
The information we collect is necessary and relevant to manage your medical health and provide primary care services. This includes:
- Personal Details: Name, date of birth, gender, address, phone number, email, and preferred emergency contact/Next of Kin (NoK).
- Government & Insurance Identifiers: Medicare card number, Healthcare Identifiers, Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) number, and private health insurance details.
- Medical Records: Symptoms, diagnoses, medical history, general health details including current medications, allergies and adverse events, social history, family history, immunisations, and risk factors.
- Clinical & Specialist Reports: Pathology reports, diagnostic imaging reports, and letters/reports from treating specialists or hospitals.
- Technical Data: IP address, web browser version, time of access, and pages visited when interacting with our website.
4. Dealing with Us Anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so, or if we are required or authorised by Australian law to only deal with identified individuals, for example for official Medicare bulk-billing/claiming or issuing prescription medications.
5. How We Collect Your Personal Information
Worldciti Medical collects your personal information directly from you unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so. Collection occurs when you:
- Complete our New Patient Registration Form, in digital or paper format.
- Make an online appointment or enquiry via worldcitimedical.com.au or our integrated booking platforms, such as HotDoc or Healthengine.
- Communicate with our clinic via phone, email, SMS, or social media.
- Consult with our General Practitioners (GPs) and clinical nursing team.
In specific circumstances, we may collect information from third parties such as your guardian, treating specialists, hospitals, pathology labs, or your private health fund/Medicare with your consent.
6. How We Use and Disclose Your Information
We treat your personal information as strictly confidential. It will only be used or disclosed for purposes directly related to your medical care, or in ways you would reasonably expect, including:
- Sharing clinical data with the professional healthcare team directly involved in your care, such as pathology labs for blood tests, radiology centers, and external specialists.
- Administrative and billing tasks, including processing claims with Medicare Australia, DVA, or health funds.
- Utilizing automation technologies within secure medical software for generating referral templates, delivering electronic diagnostic reports, and sending automated SMS appointment reminders.
- Disclosing information to outside IT contractors or medical software service providers who carry out technical activities on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
- Fulfilling mandatory statutory obligations, such as public health notifications for infectious diseases or responding to legally binding court subpoenas.
We do not participate in direct marketing at our clinic and will never use or disclose your personal information for marketing purposes without your express consent.
7. Data Security and Storage
Your personal information is securely stored at our practice in both protected electronic health records (EHR) and secured paper forms. Electronic systems are safeguarded using enterprise-grade encryption, firewalls, role-based password protections, and varying access levels to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. All data backups are stored securely within Australia.
8. Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You are entitled to request access to, and correction of, your medical records. Please submit your request in writing to our Practice Manager. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days. While we do not charge for making a request or correction, a reasonable administrative fee may apply to cover the costs of retrieving, copying, and releasing your records. Access may be denied under specific circumstances permitted by law, for example if disclosure poses a serious threat to life or health.
9. Privacy Complaints and Feedback
If you have a complaint or concern regarding how your personal information has been handled, please contact our Practice Manager or your treating doctor in writing. We take all privacy matters seriously and will attempt to resolve your issue in accordance with our internal complaints handling procedures within 30 days.
If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
- Post: GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001
- Phone: 1300 363 992
- Web: www.oaic.gov.au
Contact Details
Practice Manager / Privacy Officer
Worldciti Medical
Address: Level 1, 710-722 George Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Website: www.worldcitimedical.com.au
Email: worldcitimedical@gmail.com