About this policy
Meridian Health (“we”, “us”) is a healthcare practice in Fitzroy, Victoria. This policy describes how we handle personal information, including sensitive health information, in connection with our practice, enquiries and public website. We take account of the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Privacy Principles under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).
If you use a separately operated patient portal or app, ask us for information about the privacy practices that apply to that service. External websites linked from ours have their own policies.
Information we collect
Depending on your dealings with us, we may collect:
- your name, contact details, date of birth, identifiers and appointment details;
- referrals, medical history, symptoms, medications, test results, diagnoses, treatment and other information needed for your care;
- payment, Medicare, private health insurance and billing details where relevant;
- details you enter in website enquiries, Discovery Call requests or newsletter sign-ups, including your chosen care pathway and any health details you choose to write in a message; and
- website usage information such as pages visited, device and browser information, IP address and cookie or advertising identifiers.
You can make a general enquiry without describing your medical history. If you do not provide information necessary for care or to answer an enquiry, we may be unable to assist fully.
How we collect information
We collect information from you in person, by phone or email, through forms on this website and during your care. Where appropriate and permitted, information may also come from your referring practitioner, other healthcare providers, hospitals, diagnostic services, an authorised representative or a funding body. We may collect it without your knowledge where the law permits or requires this.
Why we use information
We use information to respond to enquiries, arrange appointments and Discovery Calls, provide and coordinate healthcare, maintain records, communicate with you and your treating team, process billing, manage the practice, meet professional and legal obligations and protect our systems. Health information is handled for your care and related purposes with your consent or where the law otherwise permits.
Submitting an enquiry does not itself mean you have subscribed to marketing. If you choose to subscribe to Meridian Health updates, we use your contact details to send them. You can ask us to stop marketing at any time by contacting us or using an unsubscribe option in an email.
Website, cookies and tracking
Our public website uses the Meta Pixel to record page views and related technical information, which can include your IP address, device or browser identifiers and the page you visit. This applies to public health-topic pages as well as other public pages: a page URL may indicate an interest in a condition or treatment. Meta may use this information under its own privacy policy. The patient portal is not included in this website tracking.
Our website also uses Google Fonts to display typefaces. We use a server-side Google service for public practice-rating information; it does not receive the details you enter into our enquiry forms for that purpose. Browser settings may let you restrict cookies, but some page-view requests may still occur when you load a public page.
Overseas processing
Some website, communications and technology providers may process information outside Australia. This may include the United States (for example, Meta) and the European Economic Area, including France (for example, Brevo), and other locations used by their service networks. This can include website usage information and details submitted through online forms. Contact us if you would like more information about a particular service or overseas recipient.
Security and retention
We take reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including by limiting access to people who need it for their work and using appropriate service providers. No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. Please do not send urgent or highly sensitive clinical information through a general website enquiry.
Clinical and enquiry records may be kept for different periods depending on their purpose and legal obligations. Victorian rules generally require private health service providers to retain adult health records for at least seven years after the last service, and records of people last treated as children until they reach 25. Website enquiries and copies held by service providers may have different retention periods. Contact us to ask about a particular record or deletion where permitted.
Access and correction
You can ask to access the personal or health information we hold about you, or ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. Contact us using the details below. We may need to confirm your identity and may ask you to put a request in writing. We will explain any lawful refusal or applicable access charge before proceeding, and tell you about available review or complaint options.
Questions or privacy complaints
To ask about this policy, request access or correction, or make a privacy complaint, contact Meridian Health and ask for the person responsible for privacy. Please describe your concern and how we can reach you. We will review it and respond in a reasonable time.
Meridian Health
Suite 2, Level 3, Brenan Place
33 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy VIC 3065
reception@meridianhealth.com.au
(03) 9416 4418
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner about a Privacy Act complaint or the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner about health information handled in Victoria.
We may update this policy when our practices or legal obligations change. The date above shows when it was last updated.