Welcome to the South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) Information Privacy Page. South Western Sydney LHD is committed to safeguarding the privacy of patient/client information and has implemented measures to comply with its obligations under the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. All Staff are bound by the act and by NSW Health Privacy Policy.
Our doctors, nurses and other staff are bound by law, by NSW Health privacy policy and by a strict code of conduct to maintain confidentiality of patient information. For further information, refer to the South Western Sydney Local Health District Privacy Information Brochures for Patients and Staff.
Patient privacy information is also available in other languages on the NSW Health website.
The brochures provide you with details of what personal information is held about you, how you can access this information and the purposes for which your personal information is used and disclosed. Your personal information includes your personal details and information relating to your treatment/care.
We collect your personal information so that we can provide you with treatment and advice. Test results and further information collected while you are being treated are kept with your health record. We only collect information that is relevant and necessary for your treatment and to manage the health services we provide.
We collect information directly from you, wherever possible. We may need to collect information from other health professionals who have treated you. In an emergency, we may also need to collect information from a family member, friend, carer or other person who can help us to provide you with the best care.
Your information may be held in paper or electronic files, including visual image and audio formats. We take all reasonable steps required by law to ensure the information we collect about you is stored securely. We are required by law to retain health records for certain periods of time, depending on the type of record and facility. We have appropriate systems and policies in place to protect your information from loss, unauthorised access and misuse.
If you do not wish for us to collect certain information about you, you need to tell us and we will discuss with you any consequences this may have for your health care.
Your personal health information will be shared with staff involved in your care, in order to determine the best treatment for you and to assist in the management of the health services provided to you.
Relevant information about the health services you have received will be sent to your nominated GP, unless you request otherwise. Information could also be sent to other treating health services or hospitals involved in your care, or to the Ambulance Service of NSW, to a specialist for a referral, for pathology tests, x-rays and so on.
We may be required to disclose some patient information to Commonwealth and State government agencies to comply with laws regarding the reporting of notifiable diseases and statistics, for the registering of births and deaths and to Courts and Tribunals when subpoenaed.
We may use or disclose patient information for billing and other purposes required for the operation of the NSW Health Service, including safety and quality improvement initiatives. Where relevant, we may need to disclose patient information to Medicare, private health funds, the Department of Veterans Affairs or The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
We may use your information to contact you regarding patient satisfaction surveys that help us to evaluate and improve our services.
You are entitled to request access to all personal information including your health record held by South Western Sydney Local Health District. This can be applied for under the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 or under the Government Information ( Public Access) Act 2009. For further information on your right to information click here.
For information relating to South Western Sydney Local Health District's compliance with privacy law, please refer to the following documents:
Privacy Annual Reports
The Privacy Acts and related Regulations and links are listed below:
Acts:
If you have a complaint relating to your privacy on the grounds that you believe a health service provider has contravened an Information Protection Principle or Health Privacy Principle, you may wish to request an internal review to be carried out by South Western Sydney Local Health District.
For further information:
If you have a privacy enquiry or complaint regarding the management of your personal information or personal health information by South Western Sydney LHD staff, please contact:
Privacy Contact Officer
SWSLHD
Locked Bag 7279,
LIVERPOOL BC 1871
Phone: (02) 8738 6015 or (02) 8738 6000
