Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Next Phase Injury Therapy ("we", "us", "our") is a health service provider located in Yagoona, Sydney NSW, providing injury therapy and allied health services. We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and, where applicable, the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal and health information through our website and in the course of providing clinical services, consistent with the professional and advertising obligations set out by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the National Law.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Personal information: name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact details.
• Health information: medical history, injury details, referral letters, imaging and test results, treatment notes, progress records, and Medicare/private health fund or workers compensation/CTP details.
• Payment information: billing details necessary to process payments (we do not store full credit card numbers).
• Website usage information: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and cookies collected through our website and any analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics).
• Communications: any information you provide when contacting us, booking an appointment, or completing an online enquiry or intake form.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information directly from you, including through our website contact/booking forms, over the phone, in person during consultations, and via intake or consent forms. We may also collect information from third parties with your consent, such as referring doctors, specialists, other allied health providers, or health funds, where reasonably necessary to provide your treatment.

4. Why We Collect, Hold, Use and Disclose Your Information

We collect and use your information to:

• Assess, diagnose, and provide clinical injury therapy treatment and ongoing care.
• Communicate with you regarding appointments, reminders, and treatment plans.
• Process payments, claims, and billing, including with Medicare, private health funds, workers compensation insurers, or CTP insurers.
• Liaise with other treating practitioners involved in your care, with your consent.
• Comply with our legal, professional, and regulatory obligations, including those under the National Law and Ahpra's Codes and Guidelines.
• Improve our website and services, including through de-identified analytics.

We will not use your health information for direct marketing without your express consent, and you may opt out of any marketing communications at any time.

5. Disclosure of Information

We only disclose personal and health information where necessary for your care, where required or authorised by law, or with your consent. This may include disclosures to:

• Your referring GP, specialist, or other treating health practitioners.
• Medicare, private health funds, workers compensation, or CTP insurers for billing and claims purposes.
• Our practice management, appointment booking, or IT service providers, who are bound by confidentiality obligations.
• Regulatory bodies (such as Ahpra) or courts, where required by law.

We do not sell or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Where any information is stored or processed by a service provider located overseas (e.g. cloud-based practice management software), we take reasonable steps to ensure that provider handles your information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles.

6. Data Quality and Security

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal and health information we hold is accurate, complete, and up to date. We store physical and electronic records securely, using measures such as restricted access, secure servers, and password protection, and we retain health records for the period required by NSW law (generally a minimum of 7 years for adults, and longer for records relating to minors).

7. Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you, and to request correction of any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Requests can be made in writing to the contact details below. We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of retrieving and providing records. In some circumstances permitted by law, access may be limited or refused (for example, where access would pose a serious threat to your health or safety).

8. Website Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience and understand website traffic. You can adjust your browser settings to disable cookies, though this may affect the functionality of the website. We may use tools such as Google Analytics, which collects de-identified, aggregated data about website visitors.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies separately.

10. Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about how we have handled your personal or health information, please contact us using the details below. We will investigate and respond to your complaint within a reasonable time. 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, for NSW health information matters, the NSW Information and Privacy Commission (IPC).

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The updated policy will be posted on our website with a revised 'last updated' date.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to access or correct your information, please contact us:

• Next Phase Injury Therapy
• Address: 444 Hume Highway, Yagoona NSW 2199
• Phone: 02 9791 9599
• Email: [email protected]
• ABN: 73 641 050 277