Privacy policy
About this policy
This policy explains how Maple Health Services Pty Ltd (ABN 16 679 704 539) (“Maple”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, stores and discloses personal information, including health information.
Maple provides physiotherapy and occupational therapy services, including mobile, home care, NDIS and residential aged care services, and staff training. We are also the Australian referral partner of Mimer Technology Pty Ltd for its software for health and care providers.
As a health service provider, we are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, and by the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) for health information we handle in Victoria.
What we collect
About clients receiving our services, we may collect:
- name, date of birth, address and contact details
- Medicare, NDIS, aged care or private health insurance details, and funding and plan information
- emergency contacts and details of carers, family members or representatives
- health information, including medical history, referral information, assessments, treatment notes and reports
- details of your GP, referrer and other treating practitioners
We also collect business contact details from aged care facilities, referrers, organisations interested in our digital health services, suppliers and job applicants, and usage information from visitors to our website.
How we collect it
We collect information directly from you wherever possible. We may also collect it from your referrer, GP or other treating practitioners, the NDIA or your support coordinator, your aged care or home care provider, your representative or carer, and our website. We collect health information with your consent or as otherwise permitted by law.
You can deal with us without giving your name where it is lawful and practical, but in most cases we cannot provide health services anonymously.
Why we use it
- to assess your needs and provide safe, appropriate care
- to communicate with your referrer, GP and other members of your care team
- to prepare reports and claims for funding bodies such as the NDIA, Services Australia and aged care providers
- to manage appointments, billing and payments
- for quality improvement, clinical safety, training and accreditation
- to provide our digital health services to organisations, and to manage our partnership with Mimer
- to meet our legal and professional obligations
We do not use clients’ health information for marketing.
Who we disclose it to
We do not disclose your personal information without your consent, except where the law requires or permits it. With your consent, we may disclose it to:
- other health practitioners involved in your care, and your referrer
- funding bodies and plan managers, where needed to provide or claim for services
- your aged care or home care provider, where they arrange or oversee your care
- your authorised representative
Without your consent, we disclose information only where the law requires or permits it, for example to comply with a court order or to lessen a serious threat to someone’s life, health or safety.
Service providers that store or process information on our behalf, such as practice management software, IT support and cloud storage providers, handle it only to provide services to us and under confidentiality obligations.
Mimer Technology Pty Ltd receives only business contact details of organisations interested in its software. We do not disclose our clients’ health information to Mimer for promotion or referral purposes.
If we use software, including Mimer’s, to help prepare documentation, the software provider handles information on our behalf under a written agreement, and our clinicians review all content.
We do not sell personal information.
Overseas disclosure
Where client records need to be stored, they are stored in Australia.
If any information is accessed or processed overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled in line with the Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).
How we store and protect it
We store client records in secure electronic systems and use safeguards such as access controls, staff confidentiality obligations and secure devices for mobile clinicians.
If a data breach is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the OAIC as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
How long we keep it
We keep health records for at least as long as the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) requires: for adults, at least 7 years after the last occasion we provided a health service; for people who were under 18 when we collected their information, at least until they turn 25. After that, we securely destroy or de-identify the records.
Our website
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to understand how it is used. Our website loads fonts from Google, which means your IP address is sent to Google when you visit. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
Access and correction
You can ask to access or correct your personal and health information by contacting our Privacy Officer. There is no charge to make a request. We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access, within the limits set by law, and will tell you before doing so. We will respond within the time required by law. If we refuse a request, we will explain why in writing.
Complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to respond within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact:
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): oaic.gov.au, phone 1300 363 992.
- Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria), for complaints about health information under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic): hcc.vic.gov.au, phone 1300 582 113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be on our website, and you can ask us for a copy.
Contact us
Privacy Officer, Maple Health Services Pty Ltd, 300 Liberty Parade, Heidelberg West VIC 3081. Email: info@maplehealth.com.au. Phone: (+61) 436 333 445