Privacy and Information Handling Policy Statement

RSL Care acknowledges and respects the privacy of individuals.

RSL Care works within the Aged Care Act 1997, which requires us to collect personal information prescribed by that Act and the Aged Care Principles. RSL Care will handle any information collected from individuals according to the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 and the Privacy in the Private Health Sector Guidelines.

Information collected by RSL Care can be for the purposes of providing suitable health and care services, processing admissions, registrations or enquires, employment, keeping you informed of upcoming events and assisting us in improving our service to you. RSL Care will adhere to the National Privacy Principles in collecting, storing and maintaining information from individuals and will:

• Only collect information necessary for one or more of our business functions or activities. Collection of information will be fair and not intrusive.
• Inform individuals of our organisations name, the purpose for collection and their ability to access their information and correct that information, if necessary.
• Only use or disclose personal information for the reason it was collected.
• Take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information collected, used or disclosed is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
• Take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
• Not adopt an identifier of an individual that has been assigned by a Commonwealth government 'agency', for example tax file number, Medicare number or drivers licence.
• Give individuals the option to interact anonymously whenever it is lawful and practicable to do so.
• As a private health care provider, collect sensitive information with consent from individuals. Consent may be express or implied or in certain situations may be given on behalf of an individual (for example, spouse, carer, power of attorney etc).

RSL Care, if requested, will take reasonable steps to let an individual know generally what sort of information is held, for what purposes and how it has been collected, held, used or disclosed this information. We may need to correctly establish an individual's identity in giving access to information. A request for access to information should be in writing with access to information being providing within 30 days. RSL Care may, in some circumstances deny access to information however, it will take reasonable steps to explain reasons for this denial. Refer to RSL Care Policy - Privacy And Information Handling Policy (Including Health Information).

Current and prior employee records are exempt from this policy, as are client records used from admission to discharge.

ROSS J SMITH
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

25 October 2001

Further information on your privacy rights may be obtained from The Office of the Privacy Commissioner.