PRIVACY POLICY

Prime Wellness Chiropractic is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and all relevant health privacy legislation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal and health information.

1. ABOUT PRIME WELLNESS CHIROPRACTIC

Prime Wellness Chiropractic is located at 2/35 Penshurst St, Penshurst NSW 2222 (inside Priceline Pharmacy). Our practitioners are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and comply with the Chiropractic Board of Australia's Code of Conduct.

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal and health information collected through our practice, website, online booking system, and any other communications.

2. DEFINITIONS

"Personal Information" means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

"Health Information" is a subset of personal information and includes information or an opinion about the health or disability of an individual, healthcare services provided to an individual, or health information collected for the provision of a health service.

3. WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect and hold personal and health information necessary to provide chiropractic services:

Personal Identification Information:

• Full name, date of birth, gender
• Contact details (address, phone number, email)
• Medicare number and private health insurance details
• Emergency contact information
• Occupation and employment details (where relevant to treatment)

Health Information:

• Medical history and current health concerns
• Presenting symptoms and pain descriptions
• Examination findings and clinical assessments
• Treatment records and progress notes
• Diagnostic imaging results (X-rays, MRI scans)
• Medication and supplement usage
• Information from other healthcare providers
• Treatment outcomes and follow-up records

Website and Digital Information:

• IP address and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent on website
• Information submitted through contact forms
• Online booking details
• Cookie data

4. HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION

We collect information directly from you through:

• Initial consultation forms and health questionnaires
• Clinical examinations and assessments
• Face-to-face consultations and conversations
• Telephone calls and email communications
• Online booking system and website forms
• Follow-up questionnaires and feedback forms

We may also collect information from:

• Other healthcare providers (with your consent or as legally permitted)
• Medicare Australia and private health insurers
• Family members or carers (with your consent)
• Publicly available sources (in limited circumstances)

5. WHY WE COLLECT AND USE YOUR INFORMATION

We collect and use your information to:

• Provide chiropractic assessment, treatment, and ongoing care
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive clinical records
• Communicate with you about appointments and treatment plans
• Process billing and insurance claims (Medicare, DVA, private health insurance)
• Send appointment reminders via SMS or email
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations under AHPRA and healthcare legislation
• Respond to complaints or legal proceedings
• Improve our services and practice management
• Conduct quality assurance and clinical audits
• Send practice updates and health information (with your consent)

6. LEGAL BASIS FOR COLLECTION

We collect and process your information under the following legal bases:

• Consent: You have voluntarily provided information for treatment
• Legal Obligation: Required under AHPRA registration and healthcare legislation
• Legitimate Interests: Necessary for providing healthcare services and practice operations

7. HOW WE STORE AND PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

Your information is stored securely using:

• Electronic health records with password protection, encryption, and secure backup systems
• AHPRA-compliant practice management software
• Secure physical filing systems in locked cabinets within restricted access areas
• Secure servers located in Australia with regular security updates

Security measures include:

• Multi-factor authentication for system access
• Regular security audits and updates
• Staff training on privacy and confidentiality obligations
• Confidentiality agreements signed by all staff
• Secure disposal of records (shredding and digital deletion)

Only authorized practitioners and essential administrative staff have access to patient records, and access is logged and monitored.

8. WHO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH

We may disclose your information to:

With Your Consent:

• Other healthcare providers involved in your care (GPs, specialists, physiotherapists)
• Referral services for imaging or pathology
• Family members or carers you have nominated

For Billing and Insurance:

• Medicare Australia for bulk billing and claiming
• Private health insurance providers for rebate processing (HICAPS)
• Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) if applicable
• Workers compensation insurers if treatment is work-related

Legal and Regulatory Requirements:

• AHPRA or Chiropractic Board of Australia if required by law
• Courts or tribunals if subpoenaed or legally compelled
• Law enforcement agencies if required by law
• Our professional indemnity insurer for claims management

Service Providers:

• IT support providers (under strict confidentiality agreements)
• Practice management software providers
• Secure document storage providers

We will never sell your personal or health information to third parties for marketing purposes.

9. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY LAW

You have the right to:

Access Your Information:

• Request copies of your clinical records
• View your health information held by our practice
• Request summaries or explanations of your records

Correct Your Information:

• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Have errors or outdated information amended

Control Your Information:

• Withdraw consent for certain uses or disclosures (where consent is the legal basis)
• Request restrictions on how we use your information
• Opt out of marketing communications at any time

Complain:

• Lodge a complaint if you believe your privacy has been breached
• Receive a timely response to your privacy concerns

To exercise these rights, please contact our practice. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In some circumstances, we may need to refuse access or amendment (e.g., where providing access would pose a serious threat to someone's life or health, or where it would have an unreasonable impact on another person's privacy).

Access requests may incur reasonable administrative fees for photocopying and postage.

10. DATA RETENTION

We retain your health information in accordance with legal requirements:

• Minimum 7 years from your last consultation (standard retention period)
• Until a person reaches 25 years of age (for records created when the person was under 18)
• Longer periods where required by law or professional standards

After the retention period expires, records are securely destroyed through shredding (physical records) and secure deletion (electronic records).

11. WEBSITE AND ONLINE PRIVACY

Our website collects information to improve user experience and provide online services:

Cookies:

We use cookies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze website traffic and user behavior
• Improve website functionality and performance
• Facilitate online booking and form submissions

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect website functionality.

Online Booking:

Information submitted through our online booking system is transmitted securely using SSL encryption and stored in our practice management system according to this Privacy Policy.

Analytics:

We use website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our website. This data is aggregated and does not identify individual users. Analytics providers may use cookies to collect this information.

Third-Party Links:

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., health information resources, insurance providers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

12. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

With your consent, we may send you:

• Appointment reminders (SMS or email)
• Practice updates and health tips
• Newsletters and educational content
• Information about our services

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in emails
• Replying "STOP" to SMS messages
• Contacting our practice directly

Note: We will still send essential communications related to your care and appointments even if you opt out of marketing.

13. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

We treat the privacy of children (under 18 years) with special care:

• Parents or legal guardians provide consent for collection and use of a child's health information
• We collect only information necessary for providing treatment
• Access to records may be restricted where disclosure would not be in the child's best interests
• Mature minors (generally 14+) may consent to their own treatment and control access to their records in certain circumstances

14. DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION

In the unlikely event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will:

• Assess the breach and take immediate steps to contain it
• Notify affected individuals as soon as practicable
• Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if required by law
• Provide information about the breach and steps individuals can take to protect themselves

15. MY HEALTH RECORD

If you have a My Health Record, we may upload clinical documents to your record with your consent. You have control over your My Health Record and can:

• Set access controls for who can view your record
• Remove documents uploaded by our practice
• Request we stop uploading documents

For more information, visit www.myhealthrecord.gov.au

16. OVERSEAS DISCLOSURE

Your information is stored on servers located in Australia. In limited circumstances, we may disclose information overseas (e.g., cloud storage providers with overseas servers). When this occurs:

• We ensure the overseas recipient is subject to privacy protections substantially similar to the APPs
• We take reasonable steps to ensure your information remains protected

17. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The current version will always be available on our website with the date of last update.

We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting a notice on our website
• Sending an email to our patient mailing list
• Displaying a notice in our clinic

Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

18. COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal or health information:

Step 1: Contact Us

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

Step 2: External Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Phone: 1300 363 992

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Mail: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

Phone: 1300 419 495

Website: www.ahpra.gov.au

NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (for NSW-specific complaints)

Phone: 1800 043 159

Website: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au

19. CONTACT INFORMATION

Prime Wellness Chiropractic

Address: 2/35 Penshurst St, Penshurst NSW 2222 (Inside Priceline Pharmacy)

Phone: 0468 094 784

Email: info@pwchiropractic.com.au

Website: www.primewellnesschiropractic.com.au

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For privacy-related enquiries or to request access to your health records, please contact us during business hours.

This Privacy Policy is effective as of 19 February 2026.