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Privacy Policy

HopeMedics Medical Clinic respects your privacy and handles personal and health information with care.

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We collect information that is needed to provide safe, appropriate healthcare, manage appointments and billing, communicate with you, and meet our legal obligations. We do not sell your personal information.

You may ask to access or correct your health information, raise a privacy concern, or make a complaint at any time.

1. Purpose of This Privacy Policy

HopeMedics Medical Clinic (“HopeMedics”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal and health information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose and protect information relating to patients, prospective patients, website visitors and others who interact with our clinic.


We handle personal and health information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including:

  • the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth);

  • the Australian Privacy Principles;

  • the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic); and

  • the Victorian Health Privacy Principles.

This policy is available free of charge on our website and may also be requested from reception.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide healthcare services, manage our clinic and meet legal or regulatory obligations.


This may include:

Personal and contact information

  • name;

  • date of birth;

  • address;

  • phone number and email address;

  • Medicare number and Medicare-related details;

  • health fund, concession or Department of Veterans’ Affairs details, where relevant;

  • emergency contact details;

  • next-of-kin details; and

  • information needed to identify you and manage your appointments, accounts or care.

Health Information

Health information may include:

  • medical history;

  • symptoms, diagnoses and treatment information;

  • consultation notes;

  • medications, prescriptions and allergies;

  • pathology, imaging and other test results;

  • referrals and specialist correspondence;

  • immunisation records;

  • mental health, chronic disease and care-plan information;

  • family medical history, where relevant to your care; and

  • other information relevant to providing safe and appropriate healthcare.

Website and Online-Service Information

When you visit our website, some technical information may be collected automatically, such as:

  • IP address;

  • browser and device type;

  • pages visited;

  • date, time and duration of your visit;

  • website security and diagnostic information; and

  • cookie or similar technology data, where used.

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Please do not send urgent medical concerns, symptoms, prescriptions requests or sensitive health information through social-media messaging services.

3. How We Collect Information

We usually collect information directly from you when you:

  • register as a patient;

  • attend an appointment or consultation;

  • make a booking;

  • complete a form;

  • contact us by phone, email or online;

  • pay an account or make a Medicare claim; or

  • use our website or online booking services.

We may also collect information from other people or organisations where this is relevant to your care and permitted by law, including:

  • parents, guardians or authorised representatives;

  • other healthcare providers;

  • specialists, hospitals, pathology or diagnostic providers;

  • pharmacies;

  • Medicare, health funds or government agencies; and

  • other organisations where you have provided consent or the collection is otherwise authorised by law.

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Where practicable, we will collect health information directly from you.

4. Why We Collect, Use and Disclose Information

We collect, use and disclose personal and health information to:

  • provide medical assessment, treatment and ongoing care;

  • maintain accurate clinical records;

  • arrange appointments, recalls, reminders and follow-up care;

  • communicate test results and other clinically relevant information;

  • prepare referrals and communicate with other healthcare providers involved in your care;

  • process Medicare claims, payments and health-fund matters;

  • manage our clinic, staff, systems, safety and quality processes;

  • respond to feedback, complaints or enquiries;

  • meet legal, professional, regulatory and reporting obligations; and

  • protect the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, staff and others where permitted or required by law.

We will generally only use or disclose health information for the purpose for which it was collected, for a directly related purpose that you would reasonably expect, with your consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.


Where practical, we may use de-identified information for quality improvement, service planning, training or reporting. De-identified information does not identify you personally.

5. Who We May Disclose Information To

Depending on your care and circumstances, we may disclose relevant information to:

  • doctors, nurses and other HopeMedics staff involved in your care;

  • specialists, allied-health providers, hospitals and other healthcare providers;

  • pathology, imaging, pharmacy and diagnostic providers;

  • Medicare, health funds, Department of Veterans’ Affairs and other relevant government agencies;

  • authorised representatives, guardians or carers;

  • service providers who help us operate our clinic, including practice-management, booking, communication, IT-support and secure

  • cloud-service providers; and

  • courts, regulators, law-enforcement agencies or other parties where required or authorised by law.

We will not sell your personal or health information.

6. Online Bookings and Third-Party Services

HopeMedics currently uses HotDoc for online appointment bookings. When you book through HotDoc, information you provide is handled under HotDoc’s own privacy policy as well as this policy once relevant information is provided to HopeMedics.


We may also use carefully selected service providers to support our website, practice-management systems, communications, security and IT operations.


Where third-party providers handle personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to ensure they are required to handle information appropriately and securely.

7. Information Stored Outside Victoria or Australia

Some service providers used by HopeMedics may store or process information outside Victoria or Australia.


Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances to protect personal and health information and to ensure that privacy safeguards are maintained.


We will not disclose health information overseas unless it is permitted by law and appropriate privacy protections are in place.

8. Direct Marketing and Communications

We may contact you about appointments, recalls, reminders, test follow-up, health management and other matters directly related to your care.


We will not use or disclose your health information for direct marketing purposes without your consent.


You may ask us not to send optional practice updates or non-clinical communications by contacting reception.

9. Keeping Information Secure

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


Safeguards may include:

  • ​access controls that limit information to authorised staff and contractors;

  • confidentiality and privacy obligations for staff;

  • secure physical and electronic record systems;

  • password, device and network protections;

  • secure transmission methods where appropriate;

  • staff training and internal procedures; and

  • review of our information-handling practices.

​Despite these measures, no method of storing or transmitting information is completely risk-free.

10. Data Breaches

If we become aware of a suspected data breach, we will investigate and take reasonable steps to contain and assess the incident.


Where required by law, HopeMedics will notify affected individuals, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and any other relevant authority.

11. How Long We Keep Information

We retain health information for the minimum period required by law and professional obligations.


In Victoria, health records are generally retained for at least seven years from the date a patient was last provided with a health service. Where a patient was under 18 years of age at the time of their last service, records are generally retained until the patient turns 25.


We may retain information for longer where required or permitted by law, or where it remains necessary for clinical, legal or administrative purposes.


When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

12. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

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


Please make your request in writing by contacting us using the details below. We may ask you to verify your identity before providing access or making changes to your record.


We will respond as soon as reasonably practicable and generally within 45 days of receiving your request.


In some circumstances, access may be refused or limited where permitted or required by law. If this occurs, we will provide written reasons and explain any available options.


We do not charge a fee to correct information. A reasonable fee may apply for access, copying, preparing a summary or transferring records, where permitted by law.

13. Privacy Complaints

If you have a concern about how HopeMedics has handled your personal or health information, please contact us first.


Please provide enough detail for us to understand and investigate your concern. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to provide a written response within 30 days. If we need more time, we will let you know.


You can contact us at:

HopeMedics Medical Clinic
Email: info@hopemedics.au
Address: Shop 118, 330 Gillies Street North, Wendouree VIC 3355
Phone: 03 5332 3507

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  • If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

  • the Health Complaints Commissioner for concerns about health services or health information handled in Victoria; or

  • the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for concerns relating to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

14. Anonymity and Pseudonyms

Where lawful and practicable, you may choose not to identify yourself or to use a pseudonym.


However, this may not be possible where we need to identify you to provide safe healthcare, process Medicare claims, prescribe medication, make referrals or meet legal obligations.

15. Changes To This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, systems, privacy practices or legal obligations.


The current version will always be available on our website.

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