Privacy Policy

Entity: Macquarie Psychology (Admin Provider)  |  Clinicians: Independent Practitioners

1) What this policy covers

This policy explains how Macquarie Psychology (the Admin Provider) and Independent Practitioners collect, use, store, and disclose personal information when you:

• visit the website or online booking portal,
• complete intake or consent forms,
• contact reception, and/or
• receive psychological services (in-person or by telehealth).

We adhere to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

2) Who is responsible for your information?

• Macquarie Psychology (Admin Provider) — collects and manages administrative information needed for reception, bookings, reminders, and accounts (e.g., contact details, appointment history, invoices).
• Your Clinician (Independent Practitioner) — is responsible for clinical information and clinical records (e.g., assessment notes, case formulations, treatment plans, reports) and their professional/legal compliance.

Macquarie Psychology and your Clinician may securely share limited information with each other only as necessary to manage appointments, coordinate care, and process payments.

3) The information we collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Identity & contact: details such as your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact person.
• Funding, billing & payment: Medicare/NDIS/insurer identifiers, claim and rebate details, invoices, account and payment status, and (where relevant) limited payment-method details received from our payment processors (for example, card type, expiry month/year, last four digits of your card, and transaction identifiers). We do not receive or store your full card number or card security code (CVV); this is handled by secure payment providers such as Stripe.
• Referrer & GP details: names and contact information for your referring practitioner, GP, or other relevant providers.
• Clinical information (held by your Clinician): medical and mental-health history, assessments, treatment notes, outcome measures, reports, and relevant correspondence.
• Website/technical: basic analytics and usage information (for example, pages viewed, device and browser details) and cookies (see Section 11).
• Communications: emails, SMS, voicemail, and form submissions that relate to your care or administration.

Where lawful and appropriate, we may also receive information from your GP/referrer, funding bodies (such as NDIS or insurers), or other treating providers to coordinate care.

4) Why we collect and how we use information

We collect and use personal information (including health information) where it is reasonably necessary to provide psychological services and to run the practice. This helps us to assess your needs, plan and deliver treatment, manage risk, maintain accurate clinical records, and manage administrative functions.

We collect and use information to:

• book and manage appointments; send confirmations and SMS/email reminders;
• deliver and coordinate psychological services;
• process payments, rebates, and accounts;
• communicate with you about your care or practice operations;
• comply with legal and funding-body requirements (e.g., Medicare, NDIS, insurers);
• maintain safety, quality assurance, supervision (de-identified), and service improvements; and
• operate and secure our website and systems.

We use or disclose personal information for these purposes, for directly related purposes you would reasonably expect, with your consent, or as required/authorised by law.

If you choose not to provide relevant information
You are not required to provide all information we request. However, if key information is not provided, this may limit our ability to provide safe and effective services. In some circumstances, we may be unable to provide services if we cannot meet our professional, ethical, or legal obligations (including record-keeping and risk management).

5) How your information is stored & secured

Clinical records may be kept in secure electronic systems and/or paper files, depending on the Clinician and service provided. Minimum safeguards include:

• electronic records stored in secure practice systems or approved cloud services with appropriate safeguards (e.g., access controls and encryption in transit/at rest where available);
• paper records kept in locked storage when not in use; and
• access limited to personnel who need the information to deliver or support your care.

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will respond in line with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where required.

6) Overseas/cloud processing

We use reputable cloud-based services to operate our practice (for example practice-management systems, website hosting, and secure payment processors such as Stripe). These providers may store or process data on servers located outside Australia.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that any such providers protect information to a standard that is comparable to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), including through contract terms, security reviews, and choice of established vendors.

7) Disclosure of information

We may share personal information with third parties where this is needed to provide services, coordinate care, meet funding obligations, or comply with the law. This may include:

Care coordination: your GP, referrer or other treating providers, with your consent unless required by law.
Funding bodies: Medicare, NDIS and insurers for attendance information, progress summaries and invoicing requirements.
Service providers: practice-management platforms, IT and administrative support, website hosting, SMS/email services, and secure payment processors (including Stripe), under confidentiality and privacy obligations.
Legal/safety: where required or authorised by law (for example court orders, subpoenas, mandatory reporting) or to prevent a serious risk to life, health or safety.
Associated parties: In line with the Psychology Board of Australia Code of Conduct, “associated parties” includes people or organisations involved in your care, such as your GP, referrer, psychiatrist, school, support coordinator, case manager or insurer. Information is shared with these parties only with your consent, unless disclosure is required or authorised by law (e.g., safety concerns, court orders, mandatory reporting).

8) Confidentiality limits (clinical context)

Information you share with your Clinician is confidential. Confidentiality may need to be broken if there is a serious and imminent risk to you or others, if disclosure is required by law (including court orders and child-safety laws), or where otherwise authorised by law. 
Supervision and professional consultation
To maintain high standards of care, psychologists routinely engage in professional supervision and consultation with senior colleagues or peers. This may involve discussing aspects of your presentation and treatment. Where possible, information is de-identified so that you are not identifiable. If there is a clinical need to share identifying information (for example, in a specific referral or coordinated-care situation), we will seek your consent unless an exception to confidentiality applies.

9) Access, corrections & choices

• Access: request administrative information from Macquarie Psychology and your clinical record from your Clinician. We will respond within a reasonable time; some limits may apply under privacy law.
• Corrections: if information is inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete, contact us (or your Clinician for clinical content) to request correction.
• Communications: you can opt out of non-essential communications; appointment and important administrative notices may still be sent.
• Your Rights: You have the right to request a second opinion, change clinicians, or transfer your care at any time. With your consent, we will provide appropriate handover information to support continuity of care.
• You may raise concerns or complaints without disadvantage.

10) Retention

Records are generally retained for at least 7 years after your last contact, or, if treatment occurred while under 18, until you turn 25, in line with professional standards and legal requirements.

11) Website, cookies & analytics

The website may use cookies and basic analytics to improve functionality and understand aggregate usage (e.g., page performance, device type). You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies; some features may not work as intended. We do not use analytics to make decisions about your care.

12) Telehealth

If you use video/phone, limited technical and session metadata may be processed by telehealth providers to connect the call. If a telehealth connection fails during a session, your clinician may contact you by phone to continue the session or ensure your safety. Please use a private space and a stable connection. See our Treatment & Telehealth Consent for details.

13) Third-party links

The site may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before providing information.

14) Children & capacity

Where consent is provided by a parent/guardian or authorised representative, we may collect their details for contact, consent, and coordination purposes.

15) Complaints & enquiries

If you have a question or concern about privacy, please contact us first in writing. We will respond promptly.

• Email: admin@macquariepsychology.net.au
• Postal: PO Box 357, South Hobart, TAS, Australia

If you’re not satisfied, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): oaic.gov.au | 1300 363 992.

For general feedback or non-urgent concerns about your care, you may also email: feedback@macquariepsychology.net.au

16) Updates to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes to laws or our operations. The effective date above shows the latest version. Significant changes will be highlighted on our website or during intake.

Clinicians consulting at Macquarie Psychology are independent practitioners operating under their own ABNs. Administrative data is managed by Macquarie Psychology; clinical records are the responsibility of your Independent Practitioner