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Our Privacy Policy is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with privacy laws as they change from time to time. As part of our most recent review, we have made a number of changes to our Privacy Policy to make it easier to read and understand. We have added the following: Notice that when you register as a patient of our practice you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to use your personal information (which includes your health information) in a way so that we can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Your consent can be implied by your actions of making an appointment and attending at the practice, and so may not begin only from the date you sign the Privacy Policy form. Advice that we may collect information via electronic means such as My Health Record, our website, emails or SMS received from you and when an online appointment is made by you. You may have already experienced making an online booking either from our website or through the HealthEngine app and already understand that this means we receive details of your name, email address and phone number. Advice that we share de-identified health information for population health purposes. This information is uploaded by Government departments and their agents periodically through secure electronic channels, patients cannot be identified and it is stored within Australia. You can choose to opt out of this if you let our staff or your doctor know. It is an easy task to mark your record so that your health information is omitted from the de-identified report of data. This data is analysed at a practice by practice scale for community population health purposes rather than at any individual record scale. Explanation about when we may be legally required to provide your health information to a third party such as by responding to court subpoenas, assisting police in preventing a serious threat to life or safety or to locate a missing person, for medical defence and dispute matters, or for mandatory reporting (for example communicable diseases). Our practice will not use personal information for any type of marketing or promotion (unless you first consent to something like a fabulous photo shoot of our influenza clinic patients for example). Nor will we release your health information to an independent third party such as a life insurance company without having on file an authority with your written consent to do so. Finally it is only fair (and required by the Privacy Act principles) to inform patients that there is a complaints process for concerns about breach of confidentiality and privacy. We take complaints and concerns about privacy seriously. All our staff and doctors sign Confidentiality Agreements to safe guard your privacy and you may speak with any member of our team if you have questions. Our Practice & Business Manager has responsibility for addressing your complaints or feedback and will attempt to resolve the matter through our complaints resolution processes, in discussion with our Practice Principal, Dr Rosanna Capolingua. There is also the option of writing to the Health & Disability Services Complaints Office, GPO Box B61 Perth or contacting the Office of Australian Information Commissioner to request an investigation if you believe there has been a serious and unresolved privacy breach. Please read the updated version of our Privacy Policy and don’t hesitate to contact our Practice & Business Manager on 9387 6000 if you have any questions or would like to discuss it. We encourage patients to sign the updated policy at your next consultation visit, which will be saved on your medical record. Just ask at reception and one of our lovely receptionists will be happy to assist.

At FLOREAT MEDICAL we are concerned about our patients’ health and the health of the wider community. Immunisations are a basic tool to prevent disease and keep our most vulnerable safe. Today’s generations do not recall the severe effect of Polio. We avoid congenital deafness due to rubella in pregnancy, and we try to eliminate the devastation of whooping cough with immunisation of mothers and families surrounding the vulnerable baby.  Meningococcal disease is still reminding us how frightening communicable infections are, and how vaccination can prevent illness, suffering and death.  Vaccinations, whether for children and adolescents under the National Immunisation Program, the annual influenza vaccine program, prevention of pneumococcal disease and pneumonia, ongoing prevention of Tetanus, and now vaccination against COVID 19, are all basic essentials of disease prevention and FLOREAT MEDICAL is responsible to ensure it supports our community in staying safe. The Astra Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines protecting against Covid-19, are currently another part of the schedule providing immunity against the possible long term serious and life threatening consequences of contracting this communicable disease. Since March this year we have been providing Covid-19 vaccinations through our express Astra Zeneca clinics. As at the end of July 2021, we have conducted 93 AZ clinics in amongst our general practice appointments, as well as 34 Flu clinics. We have another 70 AZ clinics at FLOREAT MEDICAL currently booked to provide the second AZ vaccine in order to complete the immunisation for this  first round of patients by late September. This has significant organisation and effort from management, receptionists, nurses and doctors to co-ordinate the safe and efficient delivery of the vaccinations. The vast majority of patients in our AZ clinics have been our more senior citizens (Phase 2B). We thank them for being on time, informed and compliant. This has helped the clinics to run very smoothly and even be fun at times for all concerned. The waiting time after the vaccination (15 minutes on average) offers an opportunity for patients of similar age to enquire about the pandemic, comment on their hopes, fears and reactions, and to joke about having the chance to do it all again when they come for their second vaccination. Via the SmartVax app and our own observations, we have noted some reactions to the vaccine. Some patients experienced tiredness and aches and pains and a very small number of patients had a variety of symptoms including headache, rash or bruising, or something that they discussed with their doctor. However, over all, this demographic of our patient base has sailed through the vaccination process smoothly and with good humour. If you were one of those Phase 2B patients who has attended Floreat Medical for your first Astra Zeneca vaccine then we look forward to seeing you again for your second shot! FLOREAT MEDICAL takes its role in supporting and caring for our community very seriously. We aim to always have the patient’s best interest as our first priority. We keep abreast of the latest information in order to provide the best care. We are concerned about your privacy, your comfort and your safety.  Our staff, doctors and nurses are here for you. Photo: Our Premier Mark McGowan getting Covid-19 vaccinated (but not at Floreat Medical) Credit: West Australian Newspapers