Privacy Policy
Dr Cook’s Privacy Policy
Last updated: 18 September 2025
Dr Cook is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
Why we collect personal information
We collect personal information when it is reasonably necessary to provide healthcare services or manage our practice. This may include:
- Personal details (name, date of birth, contact details, address) and payment information
- Health information such as medical history, family history, referrals, diagnoses, treatments, and test results
- Information about how you engage with our online services (e.g., appointment portals)
We use this information to diagnose and treat conditions, manage appointments and billing (including Medicare/private health claims), comply with legal obligations, and improve our services. If you do not provide certain information, we may be unable to deliver some services.
How we collect information
- Directly from you: forms, bookings, consultations, calls, SMS, or patient portals
- From other providers: specialists, hospitals, laboratories, and allied health professionals
- From third parties: employers, guardians (if under 18), insurers, and government agencies (with consent or as required by law)
- Digital services: cookies or similar technologies to support security, analytics, and a better user experience (you can disable cookies in your browser, but site features may be affected)
How we use and disclose information
We use personal information to:
- Provide medical care and treatment
- Communicate with you and your authorised representatives
- Coordinate care with hospitals, specialists, and other healthcare providers
- Manage practice administration, billing, and quality assurance
- Conduct de-identified analytics, research, and service improvement
We may disclose information to:
- Hospitals, laboratories, insurers, and healthcare professionals involved in your care
- Third-party service providers (e.g., IT, data storage, transcription, billing) under strict confidentiality and security obligations
- Government agencies or courts when required or authorised by law (e.g., notifiable diseases, law enforcement requests)
Overseas disclosure: Some services (e.g., secure cloud hosting or technical support) may involve providers located overseas. We maintain effective control and require contractual safeguards to protect your information.
Sensitive information
We only collect sensitive information (e.g., health data, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or biometrics) with your consent or where required by law, and we apply heightened security controls to protect it.
Credit-related information
For certain billing arrangements or payment plans, we may collect and assess credit-related information (e.g., payment history). We may share limited information with credit reporting bodies or debt collection partners when necessary and after providing notice. You can request access to or correction of credit-related information we hold.
Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including:
- Secure servers, firewalls, and encryption (including encrypted clinical messaging)
- Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication for staff systems
- Audit logging, regular security reviews, and staff training
- Compliance with healthcare IT standards where applicable (e.g., secure messaging, My Health Record integration)
No system is completely risk-free; we continually improve our safeguards.
Access & correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct inaccuracies. We will verify your identity before granting access. In limited cases, access may be refused as permitted by Australian privacy law (e.g., where it would unreasonably impact another person’s privacy). If a reasonable fee applies for complex requests, we will let you know in advance.
Questions & complaints
If you have questions or concerns about this policy or our privacy practices, please contact us. We will acknowledge your query and aim to respond within a reasonable timeframe.
- Practice contact:
Address: Westfield Tower 1, Level 26
520 Oxford Street,
Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Phone: (02) 9389 1177 - External regulators:
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC): www.hccc.nsw.gov.au
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): www.oaic.gov.au/privacy
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practice, legal requirements, or technology. The latest version will always be available on our website.