Ten Chi Acupuncture Privacy Policy
Ten Chi Acupuncture is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles established under that Act. More information on privacy is available on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website at www.oaic.gov.au.
This Privacy Policy expresses how Ten Chi Acupuncture collects, uses, discloses and stores personal information.
Ten Chi Acupuncture provides a range of acupuncture and related services.
What is personal information?
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
(a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
(b) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
Personal information also includes:
sensitive information which is information about a person’s:
racial or ethnic origins
political opinions
religious beliefs or affiliations
philosophical beliefs
membership of a political, professional, or trade association or trade union
sexual preferences or practices
criminal record
health information
genetic information.
health information which is personal information about:
a person’s physical or mental health or of a disability of that person
a person’s expressed wishes about the future provision of health services
a health service provided or to be provided to a person
other personal information collected to provide a person with a health service.
The policy of Ten Chi Acupuncture is to collect, use or disclose personal information in accordance with its obligations under the Privacy Act and this Privacy Policy.
Why we collect personal information
Personal information is used for the proper administration of Ten Chi Acupuncture including the delivery of services. The information we collect may be used to correspond with you (such as through email e-newsletters or communications with us initiated by you). All e-newsletters contain the option to unsubscribe from the email distribution list. You can also contact us at chrising@bigpond.net.au to remove your email address from our email distribution list at any time.
Without the relevant personal information a person may not be able to receive Ten Chi Acupuncture services or communications.
Ten Chi Acupuncture also collects personal information so that it can comply with legislative requirements.
Without relevant personal information about a person, Ten Chi Acupuncture may not be able to provide services or communications.
What sort of information do we collect?
Ten Chi Acupuncture collects a range of personal information about individuals including names, date of birth, contact details, next of kin, employment history, credit card details, education/background, socio-demographic details, health information, and other government identifiers (such as Medicare, Centrelink and Department of Veteran affairs numbers) and other information about suitability for duties.
Direct Marketing
Ten Chi Acupuncture does not use or disclose personal information for the purpose of direct marketing without consent, or reasonable expectation of the person concerned. Where Ten Chi Acupuncture seeks such consent Ten Chi Acupuncture will provide the person with the opportunity to ‘opt out’ of receiving direct marketing communications.
If in the course of direct marketing an individual requests the source by which Ten Chi Acupuncture received their personal information, it will provide this.
How information is collected
Where possible, Ten Chi Acupuncture collects personal information directly from each individual (or their legal substitute decision maker or immediate family). Personal information is collected through various means including interviews, appointments, forms and questionnaires.
In some situations personal information is obtained from a third party. In such cases Ten Chi Acupuncture will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual concerned has been made aware of our identity and how to contact us, the fact that they are able to gain access to their information, the purpose for which the information has been collected and the consequences if the information is not provided. An example of collection in this way may be from a health care professional, such as their doctor.
Use and Disclosure
Ten Chi Acupuncture will only use personal information for the purpose(s) indicated at the time of collection.
Ten Chi Acupuncture may also disclose a person’s personal information to other external organisations including:
government departments and agencies that provide funding.
contractors who provide some of the services we offer. In this instance Ten Chi Acupuncture ensures that the contractors are subject to obligations of privacy and confidentiality.
emergency services and statutory bodies such as Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Service to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those we serve.
Anonymity
Where lawful and practicable in a person’s dealings with Ten Chi Acupuncture, Ten Chi Acupuncture will provide opportunity for anonymity or the use of a pseudonym. Some people making donations, for instance, may wish anonymity and there may be other relevant reasons.
Keeping personal information up-to-date
Ten Chi Acupuncture takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Please contact Ten Chi Acupuncture (See ‘Privacy Complaints’ section) to seek to correct inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date personal information which Ten Chi Acupuncture may hold about you.
Access to personal information
A person can access personal information that Ten Chi Acupuncture holds about them, subject to any applicable exceptions under the Privacy Act which include:
providing access would be unlawful
it poses a serious threat to their life or health
it would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of another person
the request is frivolous or vexatious
it relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between Ten Chi Acupuncture and the person (and the information would not otherwise be discoverable in those proceedings)
giving access would likely prejudice the taking of appropriate action in relation to suspected unlawful activity or serious misconduct
giving access would be likely to prejudice an enforcement related activity conducted by an enforcement body.
Please contact Ten Chi Acupuncture if you wish to access your personal information.
Security of personal information
Ten Chi Acupuncture takes all reasonable steps to protect collected and stored personal information from loss, misuse and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Our protection of personal information includes:
Limiting physical or electronic access to record storage
A consent process to limit the disclosure of personal information
Entering into confidentiality agreements with employees, contractors and third party organisations that may have access to personal information
Having in place business continuity and recovery plans
Maintaining technology security products
Destroying or de-identifying personal information when it is no longer required by law or our record retention policies.
Information may be held electronically or in hard copy either by Ten Chi Acupuncture or by a third party data storage provider.
Overseas Disclosure
We will not disclose personal information overseas except with your consent or where we reasonably believe that the overseas recipient is subject to arrangements substantially similar to Australian privacy laws.
If we obtain your consent to post your personal information on a third party social media site, that personal information will be made public.
Privacy Complaints
Any person who believes that Ten Chi Acupuncture has not protected their personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy or the Privacy Act, can lodge a complaint with Chris Seto-Payne by writing to:
Chris Seto-Payne
Ten Chi Acupuncture
7 Eric Crescent
Annerley 4103
Queensland
Ten Chi Acupuncture will respond in writing within 30 days of receiving such a complaint.
If resolution has not been obtained to the satisfaction of the person making the complaint they have the option of referring the matter to the Australian Information Commissioner as follows:
Telephoning: 1300 363 992
Emailing: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Writing to:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Changes to this Policy
Ten Chi Acupuncture reserves the right to review, amend or update this policy at any time in accordance with its Policy on Policies or changes in relevant legislation.
Privacy Officer
The Privacy Officer at Ten Chi Acupuncture is Chris Seto-Payne.
Ten Chi Acupuncture Collection Notice
1.Ten Chi Acupuncture collects personal information, including sensitive information, about prospective/potential and current clients.
2.The primary purpose of collecting information is to allow Ten Chi Acupuncture to exercise its functions and activities and ultimately to enable you to book and access Ten Chi Acupuncture services.
3.Ten Chi Acupuncture collects, uses, holds and discloses personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
4.If Ten Chi Acupuncture does not obtain personal information from you, it may not be possible for you to take part in Ten Chi Acupuncture’s services.
5.Personal Information may be disclosed to others for administrative purposes.
6.You may seek to access information collected about you by contacting Chris Seto-Payne. Access to personal information is dealt with in accordance with the Ten Chi Acupuncture Privacy Policy.
7.You may seek to have personal information corrected. Correction of personal information is dealt with in accordance with Ten Chi Acupuncture’s Privacy Policy.
8.You may make a complaint in accordance with Ten Chi Acupuncture’s Privacy Policy if you believe Ten Chi Acupuncture has breached The Australian Privacy Principles.
9.I consent to the collection, use and disclosure of my personal information in accordance with the Ten Chi Acupuncture Collection Notice and the Ten Chi Acupuncture Privacy Policy.
10. This Collection Notice is part of the Ten Chi Acupuncture Privacy Policy.