Privacy Policy

[PRACTICE TO CONFIRM: legal review of this privacy policy]

This Privacy Policy sets out how Yarra Vascular Surgeons ("we", "our", "us") collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and other relevant health privacy laws.

We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring that your personal and health information is managed with the highest standards of confidentiality and security.

By providing personal information to us, you consent to us collecting, using and disclosing your personal information as described in this Policy.

We may collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to provide you with healthcare services, including:

• Name, date of birth, address and contact details
• Medicare number, health fund or insurance details
• Medical history, current health information, medications and test results
• Appointment history and treatment details
• Payment information (where relevant)

We also collect certain non-identifying information when you interact with our website or digital platforms, such as:

• Your IP address, browser type, device and pages visited
• Data collected through cookies and similar technologies (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Aggregated statistics used to analyse site performance and improve services

This information is collected in an anonymised form and does not personally identify you.

Personal and health information may be collected when you:

• Register as a patient or make an appointment
• Consult with our clinicians or staff
• Are referred to us by another healthcare provider
• Contact us via phone, email or online forms
• Make payments or claim benefits through Medicare or private health insurers

Non-identifying information may be collected automatically when you visit our website. Third-party tools such as Google Analytics and Google Ads may be used to track anonymised usage patterns, improve our website and deliver relevant advertising.

We collect, use and store personal and anonymised information for purposes including:

• Providing you with safe and effective healthcare
• Communicating with you about your appointments and treatment
• Liaising with other healthcare professionals involved in your care
• Processing Medicare claims, health fund rebates or billing
• Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations
• Analysing website usage to improve functionality and user experience
• Delivering relevant online advertising (e.g. Google Ads) based on anonymised browsing behaviour

Personal information may be shared where necessary for your care or as required by law, including with:

• Treating doctors, psychologists, counsellors and allied health professionals
• Pathology, imaging or specialist services involved in your treatment
• Medicare, private health insurers or approved billing providers
• Regulatory, legal or law enforcement bodies when legally required

Non-identifying website data may be shared with third-party service providers such as Google Analytics or Google Ads. This data is anonymised and used only to measure website performance and improve services.

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.

We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

• Paper records are stored securely in restricted areas
• Electronic records are stored on secure, password-protected systems
• Third-party digital providers must comply with strict privacy and security standards

You may request access to your personal and health information, and request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. Requests can be made in writing to our Privacy Officer (see contact details below).

When you visit our website:

• Cookies may be used to collect anonymised data about how you use the site
• Google Analytics and Google Ads may collect anonymised data for reporting and advertising purposes
• You can disable cookies or adjust your browser settings if you do not wish to share this data

If you are concerned about how your personal information has been handled, please contact our Privacy Officer. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, practice or digital technologies. The most current version will always be available on our website or from reception.

Any claim relating to our website shall be governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

We understand that personal information is important to you. Please contact our Privacy Officer at info@yarravascular.com or on (03) 9132 9828 if you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our practices.