If you have any questions or enquiries please feel free to contact us on the following details provided below or alternatively please complete our online enquiry form also located below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT: This contact form is for NON-URGENT general enquiries only and is not suitable for medical enquiries or booking appointments.
Phone
03 5981 1000
Email:
We value your privacy and your medical record is a confidential document. McCrae Village Clinic maintains the security of patient files to ensure information is accessible only to authorised staff members.
The practice complies with the Health Records Act (Victoria 2001) and the Privacy Act (Commonwealth 1988).
Please do not send any patient-related information or medical requests via email or through the website.
The practice cannot accept responsibility for any information sent by email that contains identifiable medical details. Due to our privacy and confidentiality obligations, we are unable to reply to or respond to any email requests containing clinical or medical information.
If you would like more information about privacy, or how to access your health record, please ask your doctor or see reception. You may also download a copy of our Patient Privacy Policy Pamphlet using the link provided.
This pamphlet explains how personal information about you and your health is recorded and managed in our practice. We also have a written privacy policy describing how we manage personal information. You can receive a copy of our policy free of charge upon request or access it via our practice website.
The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact details, Medicare number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information may include medical history and any care you may need. GPs need information about your past and present health in order to provide you with high-quality care.
Our practice follows the guidelines of the RACGP’s Handbook for the management of health information in general practice, 3rd edition (the Handbook). The Handbook incorporates federal and state privacy legislation and the Australian Privacy Principles, which require that your personal information is kept private and secure.
This practice takes steps to ensure that your medical records:
are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible
are up to date
contain enough information to allow another GP to care for you
contain a summary of your care
can be used to remind you, with your permission, to return for follow-up, check-ups and reviews
If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask your GP or the practice staff.
Patient Identification Policy
For safe, appropriate, and continuous care, the practice requires sufficient patient identification and personal details to create and maintain an accurate medical record. This is necessary for clinical safety, legal compliance, Medicare billing, prescribing, referrals, recalls, and follow-up care.
Where a patient chooses not to provide identifying information, the practice may be unable to provide certain services, including Medicare-rebated services, prescriptions, referrals, medical certificates, investigations, and ongoing clinical care.
The practice will assess requests for anonymous care on a case-by-case basis, taking into account clinical safety, legal obligations, Medicare requirements, and ethical responsibilities.
In this practice, it is normal for all GPs to have access to your medical records. If you have any concerns about this, please discuss them with your GP or practice staff.
It is important that other people involved in your care, such as medical specialists and other healthcare professionals, are informed of the relevant parts of your medical history so they can provide the best care for you. Your GP will let you know when this is necessary.
GPs respect your right to decide how your personal information is used or shared. Personal information that identifies you will only be sent to other people with your consent, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle used by this practice in using and sharing your information.
Our practice will not share your personal health information with anyone else or another organisation unless:
you have consented to this sharing, or
they are legally obliged to disclose the information, in which case your GP will first discuss with you the information that he or she is legally obliged to disclose, or
the information is necessary for you to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates, or
there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information
In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided.
Your health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:
you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and
the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Australian Privacy Principles
This practice may use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients by reviewing treatments used in the practice.
Your information held by the practice may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the community. This information will not include data that can identify you.
Information used for research, including publication of research results, will not be in a form that would allow you to be identified, unless the research serves an important public interest. In such cases, identifiable medical records may be used for medical research without your consent under guidelines issued by the Australian Government. Before providing such identified information, your GP will discuss with you the information that he or she is obliged to disclose.
Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorised access. This practice complies with these requirements to protect your information.
You may ask practice staff about any aspect of your healthcare, including information contained in your record. You may request access to your medical record and any other information the practice records about you.
If you request access to your medical record, your GP will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure. Your GP may also need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.
Sharing information is important for good communication between you and practice staff. Your GP is able to provide a full explanation of any health summary or medical record you access.
Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing the information.
This practice does not engage in direct marketing.
If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the accuracy of the information held by the practice, please discuss these with practice staff. Inaccurate information can be corrected or your concerns noted in your record. For legal reasons, original notes will be retained.
If you have questions or a complaint about the privacy of your personal information, please ask to speak to the Privacy Contact Officer at the practice.
Further information on privacy legislation is available from:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
1300 363 992
www.oaic.gov.au
ACT Health Services Commissioner
02 6205 2222
www.hrc.act.gov.au/health
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (WA)
1800 813 583
www.hadsco.wa.gov.au
Information and Privacy Commission NSW
1800 472 679
www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/privacy/ipc_index.html
Office of the Health Services Commissioner (Victoria)
1300 582 113
www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc
Office of the Information Commissioner (NT)
1800 005 610
https://infocomm.nt.gov.au
Office of the Information Commissioner (QLD)
07 3234 7373
www.oic.qld.gov.au
Ombudsman Tasmania
1800 001 170
www.ombudsman.tas.gov.au
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (SA)
08 8226 8666
www.hcscc.sa.gov.au
Privacy Officer
Dr Manmeet Sekhon
695 Point Nepean Rd, McCrae VIC 3938
