Privacy Policy

1. Overview

We hold your privacy in high regard, adhering to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and its Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), governing the collection, use, disclosure, quality, and security of personal information. Additionally, we are mindful of health privacy principles outlined in State and Territory legislation.

As Next Clinic Pty Ltd (ACN 673 211 704), we own and manage the Next Clinic platform/ website. This platform ensures confidential access to digital health services, including telehealth and video consultations with registered doctors (Partner Doctors) and other health providers (Partner Providers). At present, users have the capability to request medical certificates.

Understanding the significance of your privacy, we've outlined our data practices and security measures in this privacy policy. Personal information, defined as details about an identified or reasonably identifiable individual, is subject to special provisions, especially when it includes sensitive information like health data, race, political opinions, and more.

While our websites may include links to third-party sites, we solely manage and vouch for the privacy practices of our platforms. It's advisable to review the privacy and security policies of external websites for your assurance.

2. Personal Information Collected

We acquire personal information through diverse interactions, spanning our Websites, Platform, telephone conversations, emails, and written or verbal communications. The types of information collected vary based on the nature of the interaction and may include:

• Identifying and Contact Details: This encompasses names, addresses, contact numbers, and email addresses.
• Health Information: This includes past, present, or future health details, telehealth services, pharmacy scripts, items, and referrals.
• Sensitive Information: Certain sensitive details such as gender at birth and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
• Government Identifiers: This involves Medicare numbers, DVA numbers and individual healthcare identifiers.

Our data collection encompasses various individuals, including patients, next of kin or carers, healthcare providers (Partner Doctors and Providers), job applicants, employees, contractors, and third-party service providers.

In addition, de-identified information, such as browser type, operating systems, and visited websites, may be gathered through website cookies, ensuring that this information remains unlinked to your personal data.

For patients, information is primarily sourced from Platform/Website usage, direct contact, representatives with your consent, or Partner Doctors/Providers during service provision.

For Partner Doctors/Providers, we may collect information on skills, qualifications, and experience in accordance with agreements made during registration.

Additionally, information from third parties like Google, Facebook, and Apple may be collected if these platforms are utilized for Platform login.

3. Purposes of Personal Information Collected

We collect, store, use, and disclose personal information for various purposes, including but not limited to:

• Communication: Engaging with you for relevant matters.
• Record-keeping: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.
• Platform Functionality: Providing services like connecting patients with Partner Doctors or Providers.
• Healthcare Services: Facilitating healthcare services through the Platform.
• Service Delivery: Sharing necessary details with third-party providers for parcel delivery and tracking.
• Platform Operation: Ensuring the ordinary operation of the Platform and Websites.
• Relationship Management: Improving services and enhancing user experience.
• Notifications: Informing you about important matters related to the Platform, Websites, or your personal information.
• Market Research: Conducting research to improve our offerings.
• Invoicing and Fees: Processing fees for services and handling invoices.
• Quality Assurance: Ensuring service quality, training, and compliance with insurance requirements.
• Legal Compliance: Complying with laws and assisting government or law enforcement agencies when required and authorized.
• Emergency Situations: Addressing serious and imminent threats to individual life, health, safety, or public health and safety.
• Any Lawful Purpose: Fulfilling any purpose disclosed or required/authorized by law.

Given that our products, services, functions, and activities may evolve, your consent covers contact via email, telephone, or mobile phone for the mentioned purposes if you provide your contact details.

For patients, health information is utilized or disclosed for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: Enabling Partner Doctors or Providers to deliver services through the Platform.
• Business Operations: Sharing information with third-party suppliers, service providers, employees, officers, related bodies corporate, payment systems operators, credit, fraud, and security check organizations, as well as representatives and authorized third parties.
• Emergency Services: In cases of imminent harm, information may be shared with emergency services by Partner Doctors.
• Government Authorities: Disclosing relevant information to government authorities when necessary.
• Business Transactions: In the event of mergers, acquisitions, or business asset sales.
• Legal Compliance: Complying with legal requirements and assisting government or law enforcement agencies.

It's important to note that failure to provide requested personal information may impact our ability to deliver requested products or services.

Additionally, we may de-identify, use, and retain your personal information (excluding eScript data) for the analysis of platforms, websites, and service usage, as well as for developing and enhancing our offerings.

4. Sharing of information

We disclose your personal information to our related bodies corporate, as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), to facilitate our business operations and provide the Platform, Websites, and services. Additionally, we share your personal information with the following:

Persons or organizations assisting us in fulfilling our purposes, such as data storage providers, IT support providers, payment systems operators, providers of targeted online advertising, auditing (including quality assurance for health professionals using our platform), accounting, customer contact, legal, business consulting, banking, debt collection, data processing, data analysis, document management, information broking, insurance, website or technology services. and delivery partners.

For the purpose of reviewing service quality and conducting clinical research, de-identified information may be disclosed to third parties.

Partner Doctors and Partner Providers delivering services through the Platform, enabling them to fulfill your requested products and services.

We do not share your personal information with unconnected healthcare providers or pharmacists without your explicit consent. Limited personal information disclosure to financial auditors is necessary for compliance, and whenever possible, such information is anonymized.

Partner Doctors and Providers are required to take reasonable steps to protect personal information, with additional measures dictated by their professional regulations.

You acknowledge and agree that in the event of a sale, merger, or change in control of our business, company, the Platform, or the Websites to a third party, we may disclose your personal information to the third party without prior notice or consent. We are also entitled to assign the benefits of agreements with you to the third party.

5. Personal Information Storage and Security

To thwart unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, we've implemented reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard the personal information we gather. The personal information is stored using Transport Layer Security (TSL) for secure and private access. Presently, our intention is to store this data on servers located in Australia, minimizing the likelihood of overseas disclosure. By utilizing the Platform, you implicitly consent to the storage of your personal information in this manner.

Our protective measures include:

Password protection: Users must establish a secure password for Platform access. The Platform prohibits automatic logins without this password, and authentication methods are employed for password changes.

Secure storage and handling: We employ firewall barriers, encryption techniques, data segregation, backup, and authentication procedures to fortify Platform security, ensuring the protection of your account and personal information.

Interoperability: Adhering to stringent interoperability requirements, we prioritize safeguarding the flow and transfer of your data.

6. Cookies

Like many website operators, we may employ a standard technology known as 'cookies' on our website. Cookies are small pieces of information stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive, tracking your navigation patterns during each visit.

Cookies utilized on any section of our Websites do not gather personally identifiable information; their purpose is solely for internal management. While most browsers automatically accept cookies, you can typically adjust your browser settings to prevent their storage. It's important to note that disabling cookies may restrict the services we can offer you.

7. Accessing and Updating your Personal Information

Editable fields are available in the "Your Profile" section of the Next Clinic Website, allowing 24/7 independent updates with instant saving.

For access to or corrections of any other personal information we may have about you, please contact us. We strive to respond promptly and may need to verify your identity. To facilitate efficient location of the information, provide as much detail as possible. Please note that, in some cases allowed by law, we may deny requests for access to or correction of personal information.

8. Marketing and Newsletters

Upon signing up for the Platform, unless you choose to opt out subsequently, you grant us permission to use your personal information for marketing and promotional purposes. If you authorize the use of your personal information for these purposes, we may periodically send you information regarding products, services, or other offers we believe might interest you. This includes updates on the Platform's services and offerings from third-party products and services. Our communication with you will occur through the preferred method you specify on the Platform.

To enhance our marketing efforts, we employ third-party vendor remarketing services such as Google's 'Customer Match' and Facebook's 'Custom Audience' to display ads. If you've provided us with your contact details and haven't opted out of direct marketing, we may share this information with third-party vendors conducting remarketing services on our behalf.

It's important to note that we do not sell or disclose your information to third parties for them to market their products or services to you. If you wish to opt out of marketing communications, you can do so at any time by using the unsubscribe option in the relevant message or by contacting our privacy officer using the provided contact details at the beginning of this privacy policy.

9. Changes and Contact

Effective from December 2023, this privacy policy is subject to periodic updates. To access the latest version at any time, please visit our websites. Your ongoing use of the Websites and the Platform following published changes indicates your acceptance of the modified terms in this privacy policy.

If you wish to contact us regarding our Privacy Policy, please email: support@nextclinic.com.au