Privacy Policy

Mary Valley Family Practice, 48 Reef St, Gympie QLD 4570. Last updated: 22 October 2026.

Introduction

This privacy policy explains how Mary Valley Family Practice collects, uses, discloses and protects your personal information, including health information, and how you can access or correct it. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Why and when your consent is needed

When you register as a patient, you consent to our GPs and practice staff accessing and using your personal information so they can provide you with healthcare. Only staff who need to see your information will access it. If we need to use your information for any other purpose, we will ask for your consent first.

What personal information we collect

• Your name, date of birth, address and contact details
• Medical information, such as your medical history, medicines, allergies, immunisations, social and family history and risk factors
• Your Medicare number (where available), for identification and claiming
• Healthcare identifiers and health fund details

You can choose to deal with us anonymously or under a different name where it is lawful and practical, but in most cases we need to know who you are to treat you safely.

How we collect your information

• From you directly: when you register, during consultations, and when you contact us by phone or email.
• Through our website: when you send an appointment request, the form collects your name, date of birth, phone number, email address, whether you are a new or existing patient, your preferred doctor, appointment type, preferred date and time, and an optional reason for your visit. Please do not include detailed health information in the form.
• From other people: where it is needed for your care and you cannot provide it yourself, for example from a guardian or responsible person, another healthcare provider, a hospital or pathology service, Medicare or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Why we collect, use and share your information

We use your information to provide healthcare, to manage our practice (for example billing, appointments and reminders), and to meet our legal obligations. We share it only where it is needed for your care or where the law requires or allows it, for example:

• with other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists, hospitals and pathology or imaging services
• with service providers who help us run the practice (for example IT, software and accreditation providers), who must protect your information in line with the APPs
• when required or authorised by law, such as a court order, a subpoena or mandatory reporting
• when needed to lessen or prevent a serious threat to someone’s life, health or safety, or to public health or safety
• through My Health Record, if you have one and have not opted out

We do not sell your information, and we will not use it for direct marketing without your consent. We will not send your information outside Australia unless you agree or the law allows it.

Website visitors and cookies

Our website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site, for example which pages are viewed. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects information such as your approximate location, device and browser, but not your name or health information. Our pages also show an embedded Google Map. You can block cookies in your browser settings or use the Google Analytics opt-out add-on. Appointment requests sent through the website are delivered to the practice by email.

How we store and protect your information

We store personal information mainly as electronic records in secure clinical software, and where needed as paper or visual records. Access is limited to authorised staff, our systems are protected by passwords and access controls, and our staff are bound by confidentiality. We keep health records for the periods required by law.

How you can access and correct your information

You can ask for access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you. Please make your request in writing to the practice, and we will respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply for copying records; we will tell you about any fee before we proceed. We will take reasonable steps to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or irrelevant.

Privacy questions and complaints

Please contact the practice manager by phone on +61 413 901 807, by email at reception@maryvalleyfamilypractice.com.au, or in writing at 48 Reef St, Gympie QLD 4570. We will respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992, or the Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman at oho.qld.gov.au or on 133 646.

Changes to this policy

We review this policy regularly and will publish any changes on this page.