Privacy Policy

To provide safe and appropriate eye care, we may collect personal and health information including:

• your name, date of birth and contact details;
• Medicare and private health fund details where required;
• information about your medical and eye health history;
• current medications and relevant medical conditions;
• family and lifestyle information relevant to your eye care;
• details of your glasses and contact lens history;
• clinical examination findings, measurements, images, scans and test results;
• prescriptions and treatment information; and
• correspondence or reports from your GP, ophthalmologist or other healthcare professionals.

This information is considered sensitive health information and is treated with particular care. We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for providing our services, managing your care and operating our practice.

We generally collect information directly from you when you:

• make an appointment or complete a patient registration form;
• attend an eye examination, consultation or treatment;
• purchase optical products or contact lenses; or
• contact us by phone, email, our website or other means.

Where appropriate, we may also receive information from another healthcare professional, such as your GP or ophthalmologist, or from another optometrist when you ask us to obtain or transfer your records.

We use your information to:

• provide comprehensive eye examinations, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care;
• manage your eye health, including ocular disease, dry eye and myopia;
• provide contact lens and orthokeratology services;
• arrange referrals and communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in your care;
• provide eyewear, contact lenses and other products or services;
• arrange appointments, recalls and reminders;
• process Medicare, private health insurance and other claims or payments;
• maintain accurate clinical and business records;
• meet our legal, professional and regulatory obligations; and
• improve the quality and safety of our services.

We will not use your health information for an unrelated purpose unless permitted or required by law, or you have given appropriate consent.

Your information may be accessed by our optometrists and staff where it is necessary for your care or the administration of our practice. We may also disclose relevant information to:

• your GP, ophthalmologist or other treating healthcare professional, where appropriate and with your consent where required;
• Optomate, our practice management system, which is used to manage patient records and support the delivery of our services;
• optical laboratories, suppliers or other providers involved in fulfilling your prescription or order;
• Medicare, private health funds and payment or claiming providers where necessary; and
• other technology, booking, IT or service providers who help us operate the practice.

We only disclose information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. We do not sell your personal or health information.

Some service providers we use may store or process information outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your information is handled in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.

We may occasionally contact you about Strathfield Eyecare services, eye health information or promotions.

Where required, we will obtain your consent before sending direct marketing communications. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe option provided in the communication.

You will still receive necessary communications relating to your appointments, treatment, prescriptions, invoices or other services you have requested.

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

Your patient records are maintained securely in our practice management systems, Sunix and Optomate. Information may also be held in physical records or other systems used to support the operation of our practice.

Access to patient information is limited to people who need it for appropriate clinical, administrative or business purposes. Our staff are expected to maintain patient confidentiality and comply with applicable privacy requirements.

When information is no longer required and we are permitted to dispose of it, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

We retain health information in accordance with applicable NSW requirements. Generally, health information is retained for at least 7 years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided to an adult patient, or until the patient turns 25 where the information was collected while they were under 18.

We take the security of your information seriously.

If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm and is covered by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, we will take appropriate action and notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required by law.

You generally have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. You may also ask us to correct information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, irrelevant or misleading.

Please contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before providing access.

We will generally respond to an access or correction request within 30 days. There are limited circumstances in which access may be refused, in which case we will explain the reason where required.

There is no charge for requesting a correction or for correcting your information. A reasonable fee may apply in some circumstances for providing access to records.

If you have a question, concern or complaint about how we have handled your personal or health information, please contact us first. We will investigate your concern and aim to resolve it promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practice, technology or privacy requirements. The most recent version will be available on our website.