Privacy Policy

We recognise that your privacy is very important to you, and we are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other applicable privacy laws.

Please read this Policy carefully. Your use of any part of our websites or services or disclosure of any personal information to us will mean you consent to the collection, use, transfer, processing, storage, disclosure and other uses of your personal information in accordance with this Policy. If you do not agree for your personal information to be used in accordance with this Policy, please do not use our websites, services or disclose any personal information to us.

This Policy applies to:

• patients who visit our clinics;
• visitors to our websites;
• users of services we may from time to time provide; and
• members of the public.

It provides information about the personal information we collect and the ways we use and disclose it, our policies for managing personal information as well as how you can access and seek correction of it.

Better Medical Clinics

Better Medical is an owner and operator of general practice medical clinics across Australia. All of our clinics retain their own name, meaning you won’t see a “Better Medical” named clinic – instead, you’ll visit SmartClinics Chermside, Mt Barker Medical Clinic, City Doctors & Travel Clinic, Corio Medical Clinic, and the like.

Our relationship with Healthcare Professionals

At Better Medical, we provide services to Healthcare Professionals in the course of them operating an independent business.  In most cases, that means Healthcare Professionals are not our employees, and we maintain an independent relationship with them.  This gives them autonomy about the care they provide and how they charge for that care.  In some cases, Health Professionals are employed by Better Medical (eg, doctors in training, known as registrars).

What information does Better Medical collect about you?

Patients and prospective patients

When you become a patient of a Healthcare Professional, a record is made which includes your personal information. This may include relevant information such as:

Demographic information	– Name – Address – Date of birth – Contact details – Emergency contact details
Health Information	– Your previous and current medical history (including, where clinically relevant, a family medical history) and details of treatment and health services you have received – Medical practitioner consultation notes – Medications you take – Information about other healthcare professionals and health service providers who are involved in your care – Information about your healthcare preferences and wishes – Family contact information – Your attorney, guardian or other person responsible for your healthcare decisions
Administrative Information	– Medicare number – Private health care provider – Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) – Pension, student or health care card number – Your entitlement to benefits

Where personal information has been collected about you to provide, or in providing, healthcare services, it will be considered health information and is treated as sensitive information. Other personal information about you which is considered to be sensitive information (eg, information about your racial / ethnic origin) may be collected where this is relevant to the services we provide or to the services a Healthcare Professional provides to you.

Better Medical may also collect relevant administrative information from you so we can arrange payment for your care.  For example, your Medicare details, banking details, pension entitlements and any other relevant information.

What is in your patient health record?

Your patient health record contains sufficient information to identify you, as well as information relevant to your treatment including, for example:

• your medical history;
• any orders and results of any physical examinations or tests;
• information relating to allergies; and
• any other factors that may need special consideration.

Better Medical, and Healthcare Professionals, do not record telehealth (audio or visual) consultations.  Your Healthcare Professional will still document notes of the consultation for inclusion in your patient health record.  In the unlikely event your Healthcare Professional would like to record a consultation, they will obtain your consent before doing so and the recording will be stored in accordance with our storage practices outlined in this Policy.  In some cases, your Healthcare Professional may use an AI scribe or other AI technology.  Please see section titled ‘Use of Artificial Intelligence and Document Automation Technology’ below for more information.

Other individuals

Better Medical may collect personal information about other individuals who are not patients of a Healthcare Professional. This includes:

• people who engage Better Medical to provide services to them (including Healthcare Professionals);
• individual service providers and contractors to Better Medical;
• other individuals who interact with Better Medical on a commercial basis;
• healthcare professionals who have referred patients to us or who are providing services to our patients; and
• visitors to our websites.

The kind of personal information we collect will depend on the capacity in which you are dealing with Better Medical. Generally, it would include your name, contact details, professional details and information regarding our interactions and transactions with you.

Prospective employees/applicants

We collect personal information when recruiting, such as your name, contact details, qualifications and work history. Generally, we will collect this information directly from you. We may also collect personal information from third parties in ways which you would expect (eg, from recruitment agencies or referees you have nominated).

Before offering you a position, we may collect additional details such as your tax file number, superannuation information and other information necessary to conduct pre-employment checks.

This Policy does not apply to Better Medical’s records of current or former employees.

How do we collect your personal information?

Better Medical may collect your information when:

• you register as a patient of a Healthcare Professional and complete and submit documentation (eg, new patient forms, procedure consents);
• you communicate with us via email, telephone, SMS, our websites or social media or make an online appointment;
• you interact with our websites;
• you visit one of our clinics, where information may be collected via CCTV;
• you communicate with staff or representatives while we are providing services to you (including information collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), MyHealth Record / PCEHR system, for example via Shared Health Summary or Event Summary); and/or
• you otherwise deal with us in the course of our business.

We will collect your personal information from your Healthcare Professional for storage in your medical record. We may also need to collect information from other sources such as, treating specialists, radiologists, pathologists, hospitals, other health care providers, and the MyHealth record system and other third parties including:

• other healthcare professionals and health service providers involved in your care; and
• government agencies responsible for administering relevant entitlements and benefits (such as Centrelink, Medicare, Department of Social Services, National Disability Insurance Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies responsible for home care services).

We may also collect information about you from your family members, a carer, an attorney, a guardian or a person responsible for your healthcare decisions.

How does Better Medical hold and protect your personal information?

Your health information will be stored in a patient health record which is stored securely in our practice management system. The patient health record is a collection of your health information that is essential for your present and future care.

Information held in electronic form is held securely on servers and computer systems located in Australia.  Certain information is collected and held in paper-based documents (such as administrative forms), which may be converted to electronic form and the original paper-based documents securely destroyed. Information which is retained in paper-based, visual and audio form is held securely at our premises or in archive facilities in Australia.

We take reasonable steps to:

• ensure that personal information we collect is accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant;
• ensure that personal information we use or disclose is accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant, having regard to the purposes for which personal information is used or disclosed;
• protect personal information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure; and
• destroy or de-identify personal information which we no longer need for the purposes for which it was collected, except where it is necessary under law or to retain it in order to maintain ongoing medical records for patients of Healthcare Professionals.

Why does Better Medical collect, hold and use your personal information?

Better Medical collects personal information about patients to assess and manage your needs when we are providing our services to you. We also collect your personal information as a service provider to Healthcare Professionals to enable your Healthcare Professional to provide health care, treatment and associated services to you.

Providing accurate and complete information is important for the safety, quality and effectiveness of the services we provide. It is also important to ensure you receive the correct entitlements to benefits and funding for the services provided to you. If you provide incomplete or inaccurate information, we may not be able to provide you with the services and treatment you seek. If you have any concerns about personal information we have asked you to provide, please let us know.

When you check in at your appointments, we may ask you to identify yourself using your name, email, address and/or date of birth. This is required to ensure we have your correct file as some patients share the same names and birthdays.

You have the option of not identifying yourself, or using a pseudonym, when dealing with Better Medical (eg, when making a general enquiry). However, it is usually not practicable for Better Medical to deal with you anonymously or pseudonymously on an ongoing basis (eg, as a patient of a Healthcare Professional).

How does Better Medical use and disclose your personal information?

We use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

• to provide you with requested services (including contacting you regarding appointments, issuing reminders or to arrange referrals);
• to provide medical services and treatment to you, and to enable you to be attended by Healthcare Professionals; and
• assist Healthcare Professionals to provide you with appropriate health care, treatment and services.

We will disclose personal information you have provided to us to Healthcare Professionals. Your personal information may also be shared with other healthcare professionals involved in your care and other persons involved in your care.

For example, Better Medical may disclose your personal information to:

• a hospital or aged care facility if you are referred for respite or higher levels of care;
• nurses;
• occupational therapists;
• pharmacists;
• physiotherapists;
• podiatrists;
• dentists; and
• the ambulance service.

Other purposes for which we may use or disclose your personal information include:

• to the My Health Record system;
• for the electronic transfer of prescriptions service;
• administering billing, payments and debt recovery;
• liaising with, and reporting to, government agencies in the administration of particular funding programs;
• disclosure of certain de-identified personal information to local primary health networks (PHNs) for the purpose of quality improvement;
• administering subsidies and benefits to which you may be entitled from government agencies and other third-party payers (such as Centrelink, Medicare, Department of Social Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies responsible for primary care services);
• planning, managing, measuring and monitoring and evaluating our services;
• safety and quality assurance and improvement activities;
• statistical analysis and reporting;
• risk management and management of legal liabilities and claims (eg, liaising with insurers and legal representatives);
• meeting our obligations of notification to our medical defence organisations or insurers;
• responding to your enquiries and complaints;
• updating our records and keeping your contact details up to date;
• obtaining advice from consultants and other professional advisers;
• responding to subpoenas and other legal orders and obligations; and
• otherwise complying with applicable laws.

Generally, the use and disclosure of your personal information will only happen in ways you would reasonably expect or otherwise with your consent. Better Medical may use or disclose your personal information without your consent where required or permitted by law, for example, to a court of law or to the police.

Contractors and other service providers

Better Medical sometimes engages third parties to perform services on our behalf and we may use and disclose personal information to facilitate these arrangements. This may include specialist care services, allied health services, and general domestic and personal care services. We may also contract other organisations to perform services on our behalf, for example, to undertake customer satisfaction surveys, IT and practice supplier services.

Third parties to whom we have disclosed your personal information may contact you directly to let you know they have collected your personal information and to give you information about their privacy policies.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Document Automation Technology

Better Medical, and Healthcare Professionals , may use document automation technology which streamlines the process to prepare certain documents (eg, referral letters). The templates created that use that technology are regularly reviewed to ensure only relevant personal information and health information is included and released to a third party (eg, specialists, pathology providers, etc.).

Healthcare Professionals may also use Artificial Intelligence scribe technology during your consultation to facilitate notetaking.  If your Healthcare Professional uses this technology, they will inform you of this at the beginning of your consultation.

Does Better Medical use or disclose your personal information for direct marketing?

If you are a patient of a Healthcare Professional, we require your updated contact details as a safety measure for important appointment reminders and recalls.

From time to time, we may also contact you regarding important healthcare news and announcements, or to notify you of changes at your clinic, such as opening hours, or doctors and healthcare services. This is only done with your consent. If you do not want to receive direct marketing communications or wish to change your preferences, please contact your local clinic directly.

Better Medical does not provide your personal information to other organisations for their direct marketing.

Does Better Medical disclose your personal information overseas?

We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients.

In limited circumstances, we may request your consent to make a disclosure of your personal information overseas. Where we have your consent, we will only disclose your personal information to overseas recipients where we have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the Australian Privacy Principles in relation to your personal information.

How can you access or seek correction of your personal information?

We take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is accurate, up-to-date and complete. You can help us do this by letting us know if you notice errors or discrepancies in personal information we hold about you and also letting us know if any of your personal details change.

Generally, if you would like further information about the care or services you have received from Better Medical or your Healthcare Professional, you may ask your Healthcare Professional or call our reception team. To request access to your personal information, please contact your local clinic directly.

We may charge a reasonable administration fee (including fees for photocopying) for our costs involved in providing access to your personal information, in accordance with applicable law.  Please contact your local clinic directly for details.

Where the person requesting access is an authorised representative of the person about whom the information relates (such as an attorney or guardian), we will ask the representative to provide evidence of their authority (such as a copy of an Enduring Power of Attorney) where we do not already hold that information.

In certain circumstances, your request to access your personal information may be declined in accordance with privacy laws (eg, where giving access would put you or another person at risk of harm).

Better Medical will respond to your request to access within a reasonable period, however, prior to disclosing any such information it will be necessary for you to satisfactorily verify your identify. If we decline your request for access, we will tell you the reasons for declining your request and inform you of your right to make a complaint.

How long will Better Medical hold your personal information?

Better Medical will hold your personal information until it is no longer needed. Generally, if you are a patient, your personal information will be held for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last entry in your record (in the case of children, the record is kept until the patient attains or would have attained 25 years of age). This complies with Better Medical’s legal requirements to maintain such records.

You may request your medical records be transferred to an alternate healthcare professional operating from another medical centre. A fee may apply. Please contact your local clinic directly for details.

Information that is no longer needed, or required to be held by law, will be securely destroyed or de-identified.

How is your personal information handled on our websites?

You may visit our websites (such as www.bettermedical.com.au) without identifying yourself. If you identify yourself (eg, by providing your contact details in an enquiry), any personal information you provide to Better Medical will be managed in accordance with this Policy.

Better Medical websites use cookies. A ‘cookie’ is a small file stored on your computer’s browser, which assists in managing customised settings of the website and delivering content. We collect certain information such as your device type, browser type, IP address, pages you accessed on our website and on third-party websites. You are not identifiable from such information. Better Medical uses third-party services (such as Google Analytics) to undertake demographic analysis of visitors to our website. From time to time we may contact you for feedback and also for the purpose of reminding you of required appointments, for example, annual check-ups.

You may refuse to accept cookies by selecting the appropriate setting on your internet browser but if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of our websites.

Users of our websites and social media pages are encouraged against sending personal information via the internet.

For your convenience and to improve the usage of the websites and services we may insert links to third-party websites, applications or resources, for which this Policy does not apply.

Better Medical is not responsible for those third party websites, applications or resources. If you access such websites, applications or resources, you do so at your own risk and we make no representations or warranties regarding third parties’ privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy statements/policies of every website, application or resource you use.

When we do link to a third party website, application or resource, this does not imply that Better Medical endorses that website, application, resource and their contents.

Our Policy does not cover the use of cookies by any third parties.

How can you make a complaint about the handling of your personal information?

You may contact Better Medical at any time if you have any questions or concerns about the way in which your personal information has been handled. If you have a complaint about the privacy of your personal information (including complaints about our use of the My Health Record system), we request that you contact us in writing.

You may make a complaint about privacy to the Privacy Officer at the contact details set out below.

The Privacy Officer will first consider your complaint to determine whether there are simple or immediate steps which can be taken to resolve the complaint. We will generally respond to your complaint within 14 days. If your complaint requires more detailed consideration or investigation, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within a week and endeavour to complete our investigation into your complaint promptly.

We may ask you to provide further information about your complaint and the outcome you are seeking. We will then typically gather relevant facts, locate and review relevant documents and speak with individuals involved.

In most cases, we will investigate and respond to a complaint within 30 days. If the matter is more complex or our investigation may take longer, we will let you know.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you are entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner can be contacted by telephone on 1300 363 992.

Full contact details for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner can be found online at www.oaic.gov.au.

How can you contact Better Medical?

The contact details for Better Medical are:

Mail and Street Address:

The Privacy Officer, Level 4, 95 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000

Email: [email protected]

How are changes to this Policy made?

This Policy may be reviewed or amended from time to time. The latest version will apply to your personal information held by us at that time. You can access the most up to date copy of this policy by visiting our website (www.bettermedical.com.au).

Definitions:

In this document, the following terms have these meanings:

• Better Medical, we, us or our means Blend Holdco Pty Ltd (ACN 646 429 905) and its related bodies corporate;
• Healthcare Professional means:
  (a) general medical practitioners, allied health professionals and other healthcare professionals who operate their own independent business from our clinics; and
  (b) general medical practitioners employed by Better Medical;
• personal information has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act which, in general terms, means any information that can be used to identify you;
• Policy means this privacy policy as amended from time to time; and
• you or your means any individual about whom we collect personal information or anyone acting on their behalf or with their implied authority.

This Policy was last updated on 11 August 2025. The next review date will be 10 August 2026 and from time to time to take account of new laws and/or changes to our operations. Any information we hold about you will be governed by our current policy. We recommend that you periodically review this policy for any changes.