Patient privacy statement
Panorama Orthopaedics adheres to the The Privacy Act 1988. This Act details the appropriate methods for dealing with personal and confidential information in the medical sphere.
The following is the Panorama Orthopaedics Privacy Statement, and our commitment to you that your personal information will not be used in any way that does not benefit you.
Collection of Information
Panorama Orthopaedics will collect demographic and medical information about you for the sole purpose of ensuring you have the best orthopaedic care available. Your personal details in the form of name, DOB, address and contact details will be kept for administrative purposes only, and will not be forwarded to any third parties without your express consent. No financial information will be stored by Panorama Orthopaedics other than receipts for payment.
A full medical history and examination findings, as well as any relevant medical investigation results, will be kept on a secure server to enable our medical staff to properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs. Further medical information may be requested from other health care professionals that you have seen as part of this process, and medical correspondence will be sent securely to your local doctor and other health care professionals as required for your treatment. Any photography obtained during surgery, such as that taken during arthroscopic surgery, will be uploaded into your file and kept securely on our system. Any of this information can be made available to you at your request.
Storage of Information
All personal and medical information collected is stored electronically, with paper records shredded and safely disposed of. Only staff members employed by Panorama Orthopaedics are able to access this information, with security systems preventing un-authorised access.
Access and Alteration to Information
Panorama Orthopaedics can provide you with access to your personal and medical records if this request is within the National Privacy Principles. If any information we have is incorrect or has changed, please inform our staff and we will rectify the error. Your information will not be given to family members, friends or other parties without appropriate legal clearance. If a request for information is denied, we will explain our reasoning and attempt to assist in ways around the problem.
Disclosure of Information
During your initial consultation, you will be asked to read over our Privacy Policy. The policy requests your consent for Panorama Orthopaedics to obtain relevant medical information from your general practitioner, radiology and pathology centres, other specialists, and allied health professionals. The policy also informs you that Panorama Orthopaedics will disclose personal and health information to other health care providers involved in managing your orthopaedic condition. This includes:
- referrals to other health care providers, including imaging and pathology services
- correspondence to your local doctor
- work cover and insurance documentation and correspondence
- correspondence provided to other parties at your express request.
Your consent will be sought to allow for such information sharing for the primary purpose of providing you with the highest quality orthopaedic care.
Complaints
If you have any concerns, complaints or queries regarding the collection, use, storage, access and disclosure of personal or private information, you can contact us via this enquiry form.
All complaints will be investigated fully, and any breaches in privacy will be addressed in accordance with The Privacy Act 1988.