Your Patient Rights and Responsibilities
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights Second Edition and Infographic
A guide for Patients, Consumers, Carers and Families
The Charter is available in alternative versions including audio and Braille and has been translated into 19 community languages.
Your privacy
Direct Endoscopy is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other relevant laws about how private health service providers handle personal information (including but not limited to patient health information).
We are committed to complying with all applicable privacy laws which govern how Direct Endoscopy collects, uses, discloses and stores your personal information.
This Privacy Statement sets out in brief how Direct Endoscopy will handle your personal information. For further information or telephone the Hospital and ask to speak with our Privacy Officer. You can also write to our Privacy Officer to request more information.
In respect of Patients, Direct Endoscopy will collect your personal information for the purpose of providing you with health care and for directly related purposes. For example, Direct Endoscopy may collect, use or disclose personal information:
- For use by a multidisciplinary treating team;
- Assessment for provision of health care services;
- To liaise with health professionals, Medicare or your health fund;
- In an emergency where your life is at risk and you cannot consent;
- To manage our hospitals, including for processes relating to risk management, safety and security activities and quality assurance and accreditation activities;
- For the education of health care workers at Direct Endoscopy facilities;
- To maintain medical records as required under our policies and by law; or
- For other purposes required or permitted by law.
In respect of other individuals, Direct Endoscopy will collect your personal information in order to engage with you in your dealings with Direct Endoscopy and for other related purposes if required.
Personal information may be shared between Direct Endoscopy facilities to coordinate your care.
We may outsource information and data storage services (including archiving of medical records), which may involve storing that information electronically within Australia. Where we outsource our services we take reasonable steps in the circumstances to ensure that third parties, have obligations under their contracts with Direct Endoscopy to comply with all laws relating to the privacy (including security) and confidentiality of your personal information.
Direct Endoscopy will usually collect your personal information directly from you, but sometimes may need to collect it from a third party. We will only do this if you have consented or where it is not reasonable or practical for us to collect this information directly from you (for example, in relation to a patient, your life is at risk and we need to provide emergency treatment).
We will not use or disclose your personal information to any other persons or organisations for any other purpose unless:
- You have consented;
- For patients, the use or disclosure is for a purpose directly related to providing you with health care and you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose your personal information in this way;
- For other individuals, the use or disclosure is for a purpose related to providing you with services and you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose your personal information in this way;
- We have told you that we will disclose your personal information to other organisations or persons; or
- We are permitted or required to do so by law.
You have the right to access your personal information that we hold about you (for patients, this includes health information contained in your health record). You can also request an amendment to personal information that we hold about you should you believe that it contains inaccurate information.