Privacy

St Vincent’s Private Hospitals is a values-based organisation and is committed to compliance with the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 in New South Wales and the Health Records Act 2001 in Victoria.

The following information details our privacy obligations with regards to your personal and health information. If you have any queries or special requirements associated with the collection and use of your information while you are in our care, please advise the admission clerk at the time of your admission and your issues will be addressed or contact the privacy officer prior to your admissio

What information about me is collected?

To help us care for you when you come to hospital, we need to know:

• Your name                                    

• Address
• Date of birth
• Emergency contact details
• The reason you came to hospital

Why do you collect it?

Your medical record is the means of communication for many health professionals at our hospital who contribute to your care. We ask you for information so that you can receive good care and treatment. It is necessary for us to collect and keep this information to ensure that each health care professional involved in your care has access to your health information. We aim to keep your information accurate and up-to-date at all times to make sure the best possible care and service can be provided.

What are you using it for?

Your information is used by those involved in your care and treatment. It may also be used to help educate staff, plan for the future and to evaluate our services. Whenever possible information that identifies you is removed before it is used for teaching purposes or for evaluating our services. Your information may also be used for research. Individuals who carry out research must follow strict guidelines, which includes gaining your consent to be part of the research, and the individual must maintain confidentiality of all the information they access.

How is my information protected?  

Information about you is stored in a central paper and electronic medical record. We keep personal and heath information secure from unauthorised access, use or loss. We have strict policies on who can access and receive your personal information and all staff are bound by a formal code of conduct about the confidentiality of your information. We maintain strict policies regarding who has the authority to access your personal information and we educate and monitor staff to ensure information is handled confidentially and with respect and care.

Who else can access my information? 

We may share your information outside the hospital so you can get the care and help you need. For example, we may provide information about you to:

• Other health services, hospitals or specialists involved in your care (e.g. your GP)
• Government departments, if you are receiving health care services through an arrangement with that department (e.g. Defence or Department of Veterans Affairs) or local health districts responsible for health, aged care and disability to help them provide health services to you
• Other organisations who have a contract with St Vincent's Health Australia to provide certain services, such as help in accreditation, audit or survey processes
• Research institutions or sponsors working in collaboration with SVHA or are part of a government department, in accordance with privacy laws
• Private health insurance companies and Medicare Australia
  Anyone you give permission to receive your information, including relatives, close friends and carers
• Anyone to whom we are required by law to disclose your personal information to, and
  The My Health Record (unless you have opted out)

We may also use your information:

• To contact you for feedback about your experience, so we can continue to improve the quality and safety of our service
• For billing and debt recovery

Sometimes, we have to share information about you without your consent. By law, we could give your information to:

• Child protection agencies if there are concerns about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child or young person
• The police if we learn about a serious crime, including assault, domestic violence or abuse
• Government agencies for statutory reporting purposes, such as to report a notifiable disease e.g. hepatitis - governments use this information to warn the community about the spread of infection and disease
• The court if ordered by subpoena

If we have to share information under these conditions, we will only share the information that is needed.

How can I access my information?

You have the right to see your information and any other personal information St Vincent's Private Hospital holds about you. Find out more about how to access your record through:

• Request for Information Procedure
• Request for Information Form
• Information about this Form

Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns about your medical record, how your information is stored and shared, or a complaint about the privacy of your information, please contact the site specific privacy officer listed below.

Read our privacy policies

The St Vincent’s Private Hospital Division has two privacy policies:

1. The policy for the entity St Vincent’s Private Hospitals Ltd which covers all private hospitals across the group (in Victoria, NSW and Queensland) other than St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, and
2. The policy for St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, which has a different legal structure and therefore requires a separate policy; however the content is consistent with (1).