Current as of: 13/10/2026

Wollongong Acupuncture is committed to protecting your personal and health information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Collection of Information

We collect personal and health information that is necessary to provide you with healthcare services. This includes your name, contact details, date of birth, health history, treatment records, and payment information. We collect this information directly from you, or with your consent, from other healthcare providers.

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways;

• When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via intake form, and payment details will be processed through payment of the deposit via stripe.

• During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.

• We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.

In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:

• your guardian or responsible person

• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services

• your health fund

Use and Disclosure

Your personal and health information is used for the purpose of providing you with healthcare services, managing your appointments, processing payments, and communicating with you about your care. We will not disclose your information to third parties without your consent, except where required or authorised by law, or where necessary to provide you with treatment, for example:

• referrals to other healthcare providers

• when it is 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

If you claim a private health fund rebate for your treatment, we may provide relevant details of your treatment and payments (such as itemised receipts and, where your fund requires it, supporting information to verify the services provided) to your health fund in connection with your claim or a fund audit.

Storage and Security

Your information is stored securely using Daobook, a practice management system hosted in Australia. Your data is protected by industry-standard encryption and security measures. Access to your information is restricted to authorised practitioners and staff involved in your care.

Overseas Disclosure

Your clinical records are stored in Australia. Some service providers used to operate our practice — such as SMS delivery, email delivery, and card payment processing — may process limited personal information (such as your name, contact details, and appointment or payment details) outside Australia, including in the United States and India. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers handle your information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to your personal information and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and email your request to hello@wollongongacupuncture.com.au and our practice will respond within 10 business days. Gathering this data will incur an administration fee of $20.

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to hello@wollongongacupuncture.com.au

Retention and Destruction

We retain your health records in accordance with applicable state and territory health records legislation. In most cases, health records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of last entry (or until a minor patient turns 25 years of age). When your records are no longer required to be retained, they are securely destroyed or de-identified.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact us directly. We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing and contact us via the information below. We will then attempt to resolve the concern within 30 days.

Zoe King

hello@wollongongacupuncture.com.au

0431 363 450

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at Wollongong Acupuncture

hello@wollongongacupuncture.com.au

0431 363 450

Policy review statement

Our policy will be reviewed at the beginning of each financial year and if any amendments are made, this will be communicated with you via your email.