Privacy Policy — Sexton Chiropractic

Sexton Chiropractic is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in an open and transparent way. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Consent

By providing your personal information to us, you consent to us collecting, using, and disclosing it in the ways described in this policy. Where we are required to obtain your consent, we will do so before collecting any information.

Why and When Consent Is Necessary

We require your consent when collecting sensitive health information about you, when sharing your information with third parties for purposes other than your direct care, and when contacting you for purposes other than clinical necessity. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting our Practice Manager.

How Information Is Collected

We collect information in several ways, including:

Directly from you when you make an appointment or attend our practice
From health intake and assessment forms you complete
From other health practitioners who refer you or with whom we share your care (with your consent)
From telephone conversations and electronic communications

What Information We Collect

The information we may collect includes:

Your name, date of birth, contact details (address, phone, email)
Your health and medical history relevant to chiropractic care
Clinical notes, examination findings, and treatment records
Health fund and Medicare information (where applicable)
Emergency contact details

We collect only the information we reasonably need to provide you with health care services.

How Your Information Is Stored

Your clinical records are stored securely using VisitBase clinical software, held in Australian-based data centres with encryption and role-based access controls. We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Who Your Information May Be Shared With

We may share your information with:

Other treating practitioners within Sexton Chiropractic (with your consent)
External health practitioners involved in your care (with your consent)
Hospitals or emergency services if required in an emergency
Health funds or Medicare for the purposes of billing (with your consent)
Regulatory bodies or government agencies where required by law

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

How We May Contact You

We may contact you by phone, SMS, or email to confirm or remind you of appointments, to provide information relevant to your care, or to conduct follow-up in relation to your treatment. You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time by notifying our reception staff.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to ask for corrections if the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Requests for access or correction should be made in writing to our Practice Manager.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please direct your complaint in the first instance to our Practice Manager at:

Sexton Chiropractic
621 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills VIC 3127
Phone: (03) 9898 1282
Email: sc_chiro@icloud.com

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website.