PRIVACY POLICY
Fitzroy North Doctors | FND-POL-001

Address Level 1, 175 Holden Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Phone / Email (03) 9481 0000 | info@fitzroynorthdoctors.com.au
Trading entity Medexpert Pty Ltd | ABN 72 561 016 220
Accreditation AGPAL Practice ID GP11405 | RACGP Standards 5th Edition

PURPOSE
This policy describes how Fitzroy North Doctors collects, uses, stores, discloses and protects
personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy
Principles (APPs), and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

SCOPE
Applies to all team members, contractors and visiting practitioners. Covers patient health
information, staff personal information, and any other personal information held by the practice.

POLICY STATEMENT
We collect only information that is necessary for safe, high-quality clinical care, billing, and
operational management of the practice.
Patients are informed about how their information is used at the point of collection through the
practice's privacy notice and at the discretion of the treating practitioner.
Health information is stored in Medical Director with audit logging. Paper records are kept in
locked filing where required and destroyed via Shred-X secure destruction.
Information is disclosed only with patient consent, or where law requires it (mandatory reporting,
court orders, public health notifications).
Patients have the right to access and correct their personal information. Requests are handled
by the Privacy Officer within 30 days.

PROCEDURE
• All new patients complete a registration form that includes a privacy notice and consent for
the use of HotDoc and SMS reminders.
• Staff use individual logins for Medical Director and Pracsoft. Workstations screen-lock
when idle.
• Patient information is never discussed in public areas of the practice. Reception keeps
screens turned away from the waiting room.
• Privacy breaches (suspected or confirmed) are reported to the Privacy Officer immediately.
The Privacy Officer assesses against the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and notifies the
OAIC and affected individuals where required.
• Patient access and correction requests are submitted in writing to the Practice Manager
and acknowledged within five working days.
• Privacy training is part of every team member's induction and is refreshed annually.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Role Responsibility

Privacy Officer Jamal Al-Sharifi (Practice Manager). Day-to-day contact for privacy

queries, breach response and OAIC liaison.

Director Dr Mohammad Java Afrouz. Final accountability for the practice's

privacy compliance.

All staff Comply with this policy, complete privacy training, and report any

suspected breach immediately.

RELATED DOCUMENTS
• Management of Health Information Policy (FND-POL-MHI)
• Email Use Policy (FND-POL-007)
• IT Policy (FND-POL-IT)
• Confidentiality Agreement (HR file)

PARENT REFERENCE
This policy is governed by the Fitzroy North Doctors Policy and Procedure Manual (Section 6 —
Privacy and management of health information). Where this policy and the Manual differ, the
Manual prevails.

DOCUMENT CONTROL
Document code FND-POL-001
Owner Practice Manager
Issued May 2026
Review cycle Annual