Privacy Policy

 

SpeechEase Pty Ltd (“SpeechEase”) is committed to ensuring the privacy and security of personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the National Data Breach (NDB) Scheme, and Speech Pathology Australia’s Code of Ethics (2010).

 

Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals, including prospective, current, and former patients, as well as employees, direct contractors, and third-party contractors.

 

What Information We Collect and Hold

SpeechEase only collects personal information necessary for providing services or as required by law. Personal and sensitive information is collected directly from individuals or with their expressed permission from other sources such as teachers, doctors, and other allied health professionals. This may include:

• Personal Information: Name, address, date of birth, health fund details, marital status, next of kin.
• Sensitive Information: Health and medical history necessary for providing Speech Pathology services.

 

How We Obtain Your Information

Personal information is obtained directly from individuals through verbal or written communication. It may also be collected indirectly with the individual’s permission or under reasonable expectation for service provision.

 

How We Hold Your Information

SpeechEase stores personal information in electronic format, ensuring compliance with the Privacy Act. Information is stored securely and subject to privacy and security practices, including access control, backup, and disaster recovery measures. All hard copy documentation is shredded and appropriately disposed of.

 

Purposes For Which We Collect, Hold, and Use Your Information

Personal information is collected for the primary purpose it was obtained. Information may be used for service provision, compliance with contractual arrangements, and informing individuals about relevant products or services.

If the identified information is to be used for a secondary or unrelated purpose, such as data analysis or research, we will obtain informed consent from the individual. Individuals will be given the opportunity to refuse such use or disclosure. If an individual is physically or legally incapable of providing consent, a responsible person (as described under the Act) may do so.

We may disclose personal information without consent where such disclosure is required by law, or for law enforcement. We will keep records of any such use and disclosure.

 

How and When We Disclose Your Information

In the execution of our services SpeechEase may disclose your personal information to third party’s and service providers, for the primary purpose for which it was collected and in the circumstance that the third party provider will provide specific services to execute the primary purpose for its collection. We may disclose your information to the following people:

1. Disclosure to other health professionals involved in your treatment

Your personal information will generally only be used by the speech pathologist involved in your care, however on occasion your care may be provided by a number of health professionals (for example., speech pathologist, occupational therapist and/or psychologist) working or consulting together. We may disclose your information to these health professionals as part of the process of providing your care and to other health professionals involved in your care.

2. The referrer

SpeechEase Speech Therapy will usually send a summary to the referrer (i.e., your medical practitioner), as required for your care. If you do not wish us to provide communications to the referrer you must let us know. Also, if the referrer’s details have changed please let us know.

3. Relatives, guardian, close friends or legal representative

We may provide information about your condition to your parent, child, other relatives, close personal friends, guardians, or to a responsible person for you, unless you tell us that you do not wish us to disclose your health information to any such person.

4. Other uses and disclosures

• In order to provide the best possible environment in which to treat you, we may also use or disclose your personal and health information where necessary for:
  • Activities such as quality assurance processes, accreditation, audits, risk and claims management, patient satisfaction surveys and staff education and training;
  • Invoicing, billing and account management;
  • To liaise with your health fund, Medicare, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA), or National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and where required provide information to your health fund, Medicare, DVA or NDIA to verify treatment provided to you;
  • The purpose of sending you standard reminders, for example for appointments and follow-up care, by text message or email to the number or address which you have provided to us.
• SpeechEase may also contract the services of providers such as IT security, IT support or programming providers that may include a level of access to our systems which store your information. SpeechEase will always exercise due diligence to the effect of reasonably protecting your information from unauthorised access, use or disclosure.

 

Third-party recipients are required to comply with privacy laws and confidentiality obligations.

 

Access to and Correction of Your Information

Individuals have the right to access and request corrections to their personal information held by SpeechEase. Requests should be made in writing to the Privacy Officer, and identity verification may be required.

 

Breach of this Policy

Employees must comply with this policy when handling personal and sensitive information. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

 

Privacy Officer Contact

For inquiries, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact the SpeechEase Privacy Officer:

• Email: info@speechease.net.au
• Phone: 1300 773 273
• Online Contact Form: https://www.speechease.net.au/contact

 

Complaints

If an individual is not satisfied with a response provided by SpeechEase, we encourage you to provide feedback and complainants to the SpeechEase Privacy Officer in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied we encourage you to refer your complaint to a recognised third party dispute resolution scheme.

A list of external dispute resolution services recognised by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is published on the OAIC website here.

In the final instance, under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) you can make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) about the handling of your personal information. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

• Address: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

 

SpeechEase reserves the right to review and revise this Privacy Policy periodically.