Privacy Policy

01Who we are

This policy applies to the dental practice trading as Anzac Avenue Dental, operated by ANISS Family Enterprises Pty Ltd (ABN 43 618 642 783), located at 1455 Anzac Avenue, Kallangur, Queensland 4503.

You can contact us at:

• Phone: 07 3491 8131
• Email: info@anzacdental.com.au
• Post: 1455 Anzac Avenue, Kallangur, Queensland 4503

02What information we collect

The information we collect depends on your relationship with us. It may include:

Personal and contact details

Your name, date of birth, home and postal address, phone numbers, email address, emergency contact, and your relationship to any dependants (for example, children you bring in for treatment).

Health and dental information

Your dental and medical history, current medications, allergies, presenting concerns, clinical notes, treatment plans, dental charts, referrals, diagnostic images and X-rays, photographs taken for clinical purposes, and other information needed to provide safe dental care. This is classified as sensitive information under the Privacy Act and is given a higher level of protection.

Financial and billing information

Payment details, health fund and private health insurance membership numbers, Medicare or Child Dental Benefits Schedule details where relevant, Department of Veterans' Affairs details, payment plan arrangements, and billing history. We do not store full card numbers on our systems; card payments are processed through our secure payment provider.

Website and technology information

When you use our website or online booking, we may collect your IP address, browser type, device information, the pages you visit, and similar analytics data through cookies and tracking tools. See the "Our website" section below.

Communications

Records of your enquiries, appointment requests, feedback, and correspondence with us by phone, email, SMS, online form, or social media.

03How we collect your information

We collect information in several ways:

• Directly from you, when you book an appointment, complete a form (including our new patient and medical history forms), speak with our team, or contact us online.
• From a parent, guardian, carer, or authorised representative acting on your behalf.
• From other healthcare providers, such as your GP, specialist, or a previous dentist, usually with your consent or where permitted by law.
• From your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to confirm cover and process claims.
• Automatically through our website, as described below.

Wherever it is reasonable and practical, we collect information directly from you. If we collect information about you from someone else, we take reasonable steps to make sure you are aware of that collection.

04Why we collect and use your information

We collect and use your information so we can:

• Provide dental assessment, treatment, and ongoing care that is safe and appropriate for you.
• Confirm your identity and maintain accurate patient records.
• Communicate with you about appointments, including reminders and recalls by SMS, email, or phone.
• Process payments, claims, and health fund or government rebates.
• Refer you to specialists or other providers when needed for your care.
• Respond to your enquiries and feedback, and manage complaints.
• Meet our legal, professional, insurance, and record keeping obligations.
• Improve our services and, where appropriate, keep you informed about relevant practice updates.

We only use your health information for the purpose you gave it to us, for a directly related purpose you would reasonably expect, or where you have consented, or where the law otherwise allows or requires it.

05Appointment reminders and marketing

We may contact you with appointment reminders, recall notices, and information about your care by SMS, email, or phone. From time to time we may also send you general practice news or oral health information. You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe option in the message. Opting out of marketing will not affect essential communications about your treatment. We do not sell or rent your information to third parties for their marketing.

06When we disclose your information

We treat your information as confidential. We may disclose it in limited circumstances, including:

• To other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists, dental laboratories, radiology providers, or your GP, for the purpose of your treatment.
• To your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to process claims and confirm entitlements.
• To our contracted service providers, such as our practice management software, secure data hosting, SMS and email providers, IT support, and payment processors, who are bound to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.
• To a parent, guardian, or authorised representative where appropriate.
• Where required or authorised by law, including to a court, tribunal, or regulator, or to comply with mandatory reporting obligations.
• Where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to someone's life, health, or safety.

We do not disclose your information for any other purpose without your consent, unless we are permitted or required to do so by law.

07Storing and protecting your information

Your information is stored in secure electronic systems and, where relevant, in physical records. We take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include access controls and passwords, secure practice management software, staff confidentiality obligations and training, and secure disposal of records we no longer need to keep.

Some of our service providers may store data on servers located outside Australia, or may be accessed from overseas. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information continues to be handled in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.

We are required by law to retain health records for a minimum period. For adults, this is generally at least seven years from your last visit. For patients who were under 18 at their last visit, records are generally kept until the patient turns 25. We retain records for at least these periods and dispose of them securely when they are no longer required.

08Data breaches

We have procedures in place to respond to any actual or suspected data breach. If a breach is likely to result in serious harm to you and involves your personal information, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

09Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to ask for access to the personal and health information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading. To make a request, please contact us using the details in this policy. We may need to verify your identity before releasing information.

We will respond to your request within a reasonable time. In most cases access is provided free of charge, although a reasonable fee may apply to cover the cost of retrieving and copying records. In limited circumstances we may decline access as permitted by law, for example where giving access would pose a serious threat to someone's life, health, or safety, or unreasonably affect another person's privacy. If we decline, we will explain why in writing and let you know how to seek a review.

10Our website

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help it function, to remember your preferences, and to understand how visitors use the site. We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) and advertising tools (such as Facebook and Google) that collect information about your visit. This information is generally used in an aggregated and de-identified form.

You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being used, though some parts of the site may not work properly if you do. Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.

Our online booking is provided through a third party platform. Any information you enter there is handled under that provider's privacy policy as well as this one.

11Anonymity

Where it is lawful and practical, you have the option of dealing with us anonymously or using a pseudonym, for example when making a general enquiry. However, we cannot provide dental treatment without collecting the information we need to care for you safely.

12Children's privacy

For patients under 18, we usually collect information from, and communicate with, a parent, guardian, or carer. Depending on the child's age and maturity, an older minor may be able to make certain decisions about their own care and information in line with the law.

13Making a complaint

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal or health information, please contact us first using the details in this policy so we can try to resolve it. We take privacy concerns seriously and will respond within a reasonable time.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992

You can also raise concerns about a registered health practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) at www.ahpra.gov.au.

14Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practice or the law. The current version will always be available at our practice and on our website, with the "last updated" date shown at the top. We encourage you to review it periodically.

15Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy or about how we handle your information, please contact our Privacy Officer: