Privacy Policy

Burwood Eye Specialists (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly and respectfully. As a medical practice, we collect and use personal information only for purposes connected with providing safe, high-quality patient care, managing our services, and meeting our legal obligations.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information, including health information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Practice details and contact information

Burwood Eye Specialists
ABN: 18 061 137 032
Address: 280 Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW 2134
Phone: 02 9747 3065
Email: reception@burwoodeyespecialists.com.au
Privacy Contact: Practice Manager, Burwood Eye Specialists

2. What information we collect

We may collect personal information including:

Identification and contact details (e.g., name, email address, phone number)
Appointment and enquiry information
Referrer details (e.g., GP/optometrist name and practice)
Health information you choose to provide (e.g., symptoms, relevant medical history)

Health information is considered sensitive information under Australian privacy law and is handled with particular care.

3. How we collect information

We may collect information when you:

Submit an online enquiry form on our website (text fields only; no file uploads)
Contact us by phone, email, fax, or post
Attend an appointment or interact with our practice

We also collect some basic technical information when you browse our website (see section 9).

4. Why we collect, use, and disclose information

We collect, use, and disclose personal information only as needed for purposes such as:

Providing you with appropriate medical care and advice
Managing appointments, communications, and follow-up
Maintaining accurate clinical records and continuity of care
Communicating with your referring practitioner and other healthcare providers involved in your care
Operating our practice (administration, reminders, and quality improvement)
Meeting legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

We do not use patient information for marketing purposes without your consent.

5. Communications and reminders

We use practice management systems (including Zedmed) and may send reminders and practice communications via SMS.

If you prefer not to receive SMS reminders, please tell us and we will note your preference where possible.

6. Sharing your information (disclosures)

We may disclose personal information (including health information) to others involved in your care, including:

Referring doctors/optometrists and other treating health practitioners
Hospitals, day surgeries, or other medical services involved in your treatment
Pathology and diagnostic imaging providers (where relevant)
Other parties where required or authorised by law

We commonly communicate clinical information by fax, email, or post. We take reasonable steps to send correspondence to the correct recipient details provided and to reduce the risk of unintended disclosure.

7. Children and young people

We provide care to paediatric patients. Where appropriate, we collect information from a parent or guardian and manage consent and privacy matters in line with applicable laws and clinical guidelines.

8. Website forms and urgent matters

Website enquiry forms are intended for non-urgent communications only.

Please do not submit highly sensitive or time-critical medical information through the website.

In an emergency, call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department.

9. Website analytics, cookies, and Google Maps

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies that help the site function and improve your experience.

We embed Google Maps to help users find our location. When you use the embedded map, Google may collect information in accordance with Google’s privacy practices (for example, device and usage information).

You can control cookies via your browser settings. Some website features may not work properly if cookies are disabled.

10. Data storage and security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. This includes secure systems and access controls appropriate to a medical practice environment.

However, no method of online transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Overseas storage

We do not intentionally store patient information overseas. If our arrangements change in the future (for example, if we introduce online booking or new communication tools), we will update this Privacy Policy accordingly.

12. Accessing and correcting your information

You may request access to personal information we hold about you and request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or misleading.

Requests can be made by contacting us (see section 1). We may need to verify your identity before providing access.

13. Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about privacy, please contact our Practice Manager. We will respond within a reasonable time.

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