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Privacy Policy

Lancaster Medical Centre Privacy Policy

  • Purpose
The purpose of the privacy policy is to ensure that our management is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients within our practice. Information collected is kept strictly confidential and used only for the medical and health care of patients.
This policy provides information to patients as to how their personal information (which includes their health information) is collected and used within the Practice, and the circumstances in which we may disclose it to third parties.
  • Scope
This policy applies to all employees and patients of Lancaster Medical Centre.
  • Patient Consent
The practice will only interpret and apply a patient’s consent for the primary purpose for which it was provided. The Practice staff must seek additional consent from the patient if the personal information collected may be used for any other purpose.
  • Related standards
RACGP Compliance indicators for the Australian Privacy Principles: an addendum to the computer and information security standards (Second edition).
  • Background and rationale
The APP provide a privacy protection framework that supports the rights and obligations of collecting, holding, using, accessing and correcting personal information. The APP consist of 13 principle-based laws and apply equally to paper-based and digital environments. The APP complement the long-standing general practice obligation to manage personal information in a regulated, open and transparent manner.
This policy will guide Practice staff in meeting these legal obligations. It also details to patients how the Practice uses their personal information. The policy must be made available to patients upon request.
  • Parents/Guardians and Children
To protect the rights of a child’s privacy, access to a child’s medical information may at times be restricted for parents and guardians. Release of information may be referred back to the treating Doctor where there professional judgement and the law will be applied.
  • Practice procedure
The Practice will:
  • Provide a copy of this policy upon request
  • Ensure staff comply with the APP and deal appropriately with inquiries or concerns
  • Take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the APP and deal with inquiries or complaints
  • Collect personal information for the primary purpose of managing a patient’s healthcare and for financial claims and payments.
  • Staff responsibility
The Practice’s staff will take reasonable steps to ensure patients understand:
  • What information has been and is being collected
  • Why the information is being collected, and whether this is due to a legal requirement
  • How the information will be used or disclosed
  • Why and when their consent is necessary
  • The Practice’s procedures for access and correction of information, and responding to
  • Complaints of information breaches, including by providing this policy.
  • Patient consent
The Practice will only interpret and apply a patient’s consent for the primary purpose for which it was provided. The Practice staff must seek additional consent from the patient if the personal information collected may be used for any other purpose.
  • Collection of information
The Practice will need to collect personal information as a provision of clinical services to a patient at the practice. Collected personal information will include patients’:
  • Names, addresses and contact details
  • Medicare number (where available) (for identification and claiming purposes)
  • Healthcare identifiers
  • Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors.
A patient’s personal information may be held at the Practice in various forms:
  • As paper records
  • As electronic records
  • As visual – x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos
  • As audio recordings
The Practice’s procedure for collecting personal information is set out below.
  • Practice staff collect patients’ personal and demographic information via registration when patients present to the Practice for the first time. Patients are encouraged to pay attention to the collection statement attached to/within the form and information about the management of collected information and patient privacy.
  • During the course of providing medical services, the Practice’s healthcare practitioners will consequently collect further personal information.
  • Personal information may also be collected from the patient’s guardian or responsible person (where practicable and necessary), or from any other involved healthcare specialists
The Practice holds all personal information securely, whether in electronic format, in protected information systems or in hard copy format in a secured environment.
  • Use and disclosure of information
Personal information will only be used for the purpose of providing medical services and for claims and payments, unless otherwise consented to. Some disclosure may occur to third parties engaged by or for the Practice for business purposes, such as accreditation or for the provision of information technology. These third parties are required to comply with this policy. The Practice will inform the patient where there is a statutory requirement to disclose certain personal information (for example, some diseases require mandatory notification).
The Practice will not disclose personal information to any third party other than in the course of providing medical services, without full disclosure to the patient or the recipient, the reason for the information transfer and full consent from the patient. The Practice will not disclose personal information to anyone outside Australia without need and without patient consent.
Exceptions to disclose without patient consent are where the information is:
  • Required by law
  • Necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
  • To assist in locating a missing person
  • To establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
  • For the purpose of a confidential dispute resolution process
The Practice will not use any personal information in relation to direct marketing to a patient without that patient’s express consent. Patients may opt-out of direct marketing at any time by notifying the Practice in a letter or email. The Practice evaluates all unsolicited information it receives to decide if it should be kept, acted on or destroyed.
  • Access, corrections and privacy concerns

The Practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. Patients are encouraged to make this request in writing, and the Practice will respond within a reasonable time.

The Practice will take reasonable steps to correct personal information where it is satisfied they are not accurate or up to date. From time to time, the Practice will ask patients to verify the personal information held by the Practice is correct and up to date. Patients may also request the Practice corrects or updates their information, and patients should make such requests in writing.
The Practice takes complaints and concerns about the privacy of patients’ personal information seriously. Patients should express any privacy concerns in writing. The Practice will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with its complaint resolution procedure.
We welcome any feedback that you would like to provide. You can leave a completed feedback form available at the reception in our suggestions box at the centre or write to the Practice Manager, and we will respond as soon as practicable.
  • Privacy Collection Notice

Research is a critical element of continuing to discover and deliver the highest level of primary care to patients. Because of this, Lancaster Medical Centre participates in research studies from time to time. These are usually conducted by our trusted research partners (third party organisations) such as Universities and the research must comply with human research ethics approval requirements. We may contact you to inform you of a potential health research study for which you may be eligible, or we may provide limited information about you, such as your contact details and the fact that you may be eligible, to our research partners to contact you and discuss your interest in participating. We require your explicit consent to use your information in this way. If you do not want your information to be used for purposes beyond your individual care and treatment, you can withhold this consent and we will note this on your record. Any choice you make will not impact your individual care.

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Clinical Documentation

At Lancaster Medical Center, our doctors and nurses may use AI support tools—such as AI clinical scribes—to assist with clinical documentation during patient consultations.

These AI support tools serve strictly as documentation assistants. They help draft consultation notes so your clinician can focus on you, but they do not diagnose conditions, make treatment decisions, or replace the clinical judgment of your doctor or nurse.

Your Privacy and Consent

Before using an AI support tool during a consultation, your clinician will inform you and request your consent.

You have the right to:

  • Ask questions about how AI support tools are used in your care.

  • Decline the use of AI tools for your consultation.

  • Withdraw consent at any point during your visit.

  • Request that your consultation be documented manually.

Choosing not to use AI support tools will not affect your care or access to treatment in any way.

Clinician Oversight & Accuracy

  • Full Review: All AI-generated draft notes are reviewed, edited, and verified by your treating doctor or nurse before being added to your official medical record.

  • Professional Responsibility: Our clinicians remain fully responsible for the accuracy of your medical record and all clinical decisions regarding your care. No AI-generated content is saved without direct clinician review.

Privacy and Information Security

Lancaster Medical Center strictly safeguards the privacy and security of your health data:

  • Strict Controls: The use of AI support tools is governed by practice policies and applicable health privacy laws, ensuring rigorous access and data protection controls.

  • Data Retention: Any temporary audio or text processed by AI support tools is handled securely under defined retention guidelines and is never used as a replacement for your official medical record.

Governance and Standards

Our use of AI support tools is governed by Lancaster Medical Center’s Artificial Intelligence Policy and aligns with Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) standards for the safe, ethical, and appropriate use of AI in general practice. These standards prioritize patient consent, data confidentiality, mandatory clinician oversight, and patient safety.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about how AI support tools are used during your visit, please speak with your doctor, nurse, or a member of our reception team.

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At Lancaster Medical Centre, our dedicated team of doctors are committed to providing exceptional healthcare and wellbeing for all patients. We are a doctor-owned and operated practice, and our experienced physicians, managers, receptionists, and nurses work together to deliver the highest quality care.

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Address

67 Princes Highway, Werribee VIC 3030.

Phone

03 8721 0213

Email

practice@lancastermc.au

*Out-of-pocket fees will apply for minor surgeries in accordance with clinic policy.

We are now a 100% Bulk-Billing Practice! All standard GP consultations are bulk billed for Medicare cardholders, 7 days a week.

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03 8721 0213

ATTENTION VISITOR

📢 Lancaster Medical Centre will be closed on May 27, 2026, as our team takes the day to celebrate Eid al-Adha.

We will resume normal operating hours following the closure. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

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