Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 5 October 2025

This Privacy Policy is for patients, associates, and online asset consumers of Frankston GI and Chesterville GI ("we," "us," "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal and health information responsibly. This policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information.

Legal Framework

This policy complies with:

  • Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
  • Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
  • Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010 (Cth)
  • Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth)
  • Medicare provider agreement obligations

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal and health information to provide healthcare services, including:

  • Contact details (name, address, phone, email)
  • Medical history and presenting symptoms
  • Test results and diagnostic information
  • Referrals and correspondence from other healthcare providers
  • Audio recordings of phone calls
  • Healthcare identifiers (Medicare numbers, Private health insurance details)

2. How We Collect Your Information

Your personal information may be collected:

  • Directly from you, including during consultations, over the phone, via email, or through online forms
  • From other healthcare providers, such as general practitioners, specialists, or hospitals
  • From diagnostic services such as laboratories or imaging centres
  • Through call recordings when you contact our practice

3. Use of Your Information

Your information is used for the purposes of:

  • Diagnosing and managing your medical condition
  • Communicating with other healthcare providers involved in your care
  • Billing, including Medicare/private insurance processing
  • Administrative and clinical operations
  • Quality assurance and staff training (de-identified)
  • Software system improvement and development (de-identified)
  • Legal and regulatory compliance

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Healthcare Providers

We may share your information with:

  • Other healthcare providers involved in your care
  • Emergency medical services (when necessary)

Medicare and Government Agencies

We are required to share certain information with:

  • Medicare Australia: For legitimate Medicare billing, claiming, and compliance audits only
  • Department of Health: Public health reporting as required by law
  • Professional regulatory bodies: When mandated by professional standards or law
  • Courts and law enforcement: Only when legally compelled by court order or warrant

Medicare Information Restrictions:

  • Medicare numbers are never used for patient identification in non-Medicare contexts
  • Medicare assignment and billing information is kept strictly confidential
  • Bulk billing records are maintained according to Medicare requirements
  • Provider number usage is limited to authorised healthcare transactions

Healthcare Identifiers and Medicare Information

Healthcare Identifiers Collection and Use

Under the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010 (Cth), we collect and use Healthcare Identifiers only for authorised purposes under section 9:

Individual Healthcare Identifiers (IHI):
  • Providing healthcare services to you
  • Facilitating continuity of healthcare
  • Managing healthcare information systems
  • Research and public health activities (with appropriate approvals)
Healthcare Provider Identifiers:
  • Identifying ourselves in healthcare transactions
  • Medicare billing and claiming processes
  • Professional registration verification

4. Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, including:

  • Secure electronic medical record systems
  • Staff confidentiality agreements
  • Controlled access to phone recordings and patient records
  • Data backup and encryption protocols

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal and health information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

5. Phone Call Recordings

To ensure a high standard of service, phone calls to and from our practice may be recorded for training and quality assurance purposes.

  • You will be notified at the start of the call that it may be recorded.
  • Recordings are stored securely and accessed only by authorised personnel.
  • Recordings are not used for diagnosis or medical record purposes.
  • You may opt out of having your call recorded by informing our staff or choosing not to proceed with the call.

6. Your Rights

Access and Correction (APPs 12 & 13)

  • Request access to your personal and health information
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Receive information in an accessible format
  • Transfer records to another provider

Complaints Process

If you have concerns about how your privacy has been handled, you may contact us directly. We take all complaints seriously and aim to resolve them promptly.

  • Contact our Practice Manager at admin@mgie.com.au
  • We will respond within 30 days
  • If unresolved, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

Contact Information

  • Email: admin@frankstongi.com.au
  • Address: Level 3, Suite 8, 5 Susono Way, Frankston, Vic, 3199

7. Links

This website may contain links to other websites. These links are meant for your convenience only. Links to third party websites do not constitute sponsorship or endorsement or approval of these websites.

Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites. We encourage our users to be aware, when they leave our website, to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information.

This privacy policy applies solely to information collected by this website.

8. Policy Updates

This policy may be updated to reflect changes in law or practice. Current versions are available at our practice and website.

As we plan to ensure our privacy policy remains current, this policy is subject to change. We may modify this policy at any time, in our sole discretion and all modifications will be effective immediately upon our posting of the modifications on this website.

Please return periodically to review our privacy policy.