Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Dr Ben Dowswell Exercise Physiology ("we", "us", "our") provides allied health services including Exercise Physiology, Hydrotherapy, and related support services. We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and other applicable privacy laws.

2. What information we collect

We may collect and hold personal information, including:

• identity and contact details (name, phone number, email, address, date of birth)
• appointment and communication details
• health information and clinical history relevant to your care (including referral information, reports, and treatment notes)
• billing, payment, insurer and funding details (for example Medicare, NDIS, DVA, Workers Compensation or CTP details)
• website and enquiry information submitted through our contact form

3. How we collect personal information

We usually collect information directly from you when you:

• contact us by phone, email, website form, or in person
• book or attend an appointment
• complete intake forms or consent forms

We may also collect information from third parties where appropriate and permitted, such as referring practitioners, treating specialists, insurers, support coordinators, and family members or carers (where authorised).

4. Why we collect, use and disclose information

We collect, use and disclose personal information to:

• provide safe and effective health and allied health services
• manage appointments, administration, billing and accounts
• communicate with you and respond to enquiries
• coordinate care with your authorised treating team and relevant third parties
• meet legal, regulatory, insurance, and professional obligations
• improve our services and website operations

5. Disclosure of personal information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• your referring doctor, treating practitioners, and other healthcare providers involved in your care
• funders and payers such as Medicare, NDIS, DVA, insurers, or claims managers where relevant
• our contracted service providers (for example secure IT, cloud hosting, and practice administration systems)
• regulators, courts, or authorities where required or authorised by law

We only disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy or where legally required.

6. Overseas disclosure

Some of our digital service providers may store or process data using servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information remains protected in line with Australian privacy requirements.

7. Storage and security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Measures include secure systems, controlled access, and secure record handling practices. We retain records as required by applicable laws and professional standards, then securely de-identify or destroy information when no longer required.

8. Access and correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and request correction if information is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading. To make a request, contact us using the details below.

We will respond within a reasonable period and, where possible, within 30 days. We do not charge a fee for making a correction request.

9. Website, cookies and analytics

Our website may collect technical information such as browser type, pages visited, and timestamps to help improve performance and user experience. Cookies and similar technologies may be used for essential site functions and analytics.

Our website may include links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.

10. Direct marketing

We may send service-related communications. We do not sell personal information. If we ever send marketing communications, you can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe option or contacting us directly.

11. Data breaches

If an eligible data breach occurs, we will take prompt action to contain and assess the incident. Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

12. Privacy complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first so we can work to resolve it. Please include details of your concern and your preferred outcome.

We aim to respond within a reasonable time (generally within 30 days). If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the OAIC at oaic.gov.au.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal or operational changes. The current version will always be published on this page.

14. Contact us