We look after your personal information in line with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) and the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 (Qld)(the privacy legislation).
Information we collect
When you visit our website, we collect some information automatically. We keep this information in our internet access logs.
Cookies
We may use cookies to collect information about how you browse our website. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
We use cookies to identify your browser when you visit our website, not you. They don't store your personal information.
We let third party service providers use our website cookies so they can send us reports about logs and usage data.
Logs and usage data
We collect information about your visit, such as:
- your IP address, browser type and operating system
- the website you came from
- pages you visit and documents you download
- the time and date of your visit.
We use log and usage data to:
- improve your experience on our website
- understand how people use our site
- gather statistical data
- improve our services
- investigate issues such as service availability.
Personal information
Personal information includes anything that could identify you, such as your name, email address or phone number.
We only collect, use and disclose your personal information when you, or a person you nominate give us permission. And we'll only use your personal information for the reason you gave it to us.
How we use your personal information depends on the type of information you give us.
We may use it to:
- provide you with health and wellbeing services
- make sure you get the right treatment and follow up care
- help us decide on applications for services or benefits
- communicate with you and get your feedback
- do research to improve healthcare practices and outcomes.
Sharing your personal information
We may share your personal information with:
- your GP or a healthcare service to facilitate treatment and care
- your family, spouse, or guardian, if you've nominated them
- another person or group, if you agree we can, or if the law requires us to.
If we share your information, we do it under the privacy legislation and comply with our duty of confidentiality.
We don't sell, trade or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
You can ask us at any time not to share your information.
Emails, messages and feedback
We treat and keep emails, messages and feedback you send to this site as public records. We need to do this under the Public Records Act 2023 (Qld).
Our website support team reads emails, messages and feedback you send us. We may use the information you give us to maintain and improve our services. This may include sending your information to other business areas in Queensland Health.
We try to reply when you ask a question or give feedback, but we may not reply to every message.
Read more about how we treat your feedback.
Protect yourself from scams
We’ll never send you an email or SMS that asks you for payment details or bank details.
If you're worried about an email or SMS you've received, contact us. Don't click on any links or open any attachments.
Using email to communicate with your health professional
Sometimes we offer the option to communicate about your care by email. Not all services use email. Your health professional will tell you if email is an option.
Email isn’t for urgent issues. Call 000 in an emergency or contact your GP.
Email also doesn’t replace appointments. It shouldn’t be used instead of face-to-face, phone or telehealth appointments.
Consent
Your healthcare professional will ask if you want to use email. If you say yes, they’ll record your consent in your health file. You’ll also confirm your email address.
You can withdraw consent at any time.
If you choose not to use email, your healthcare professional will discuss other options with you.
Risks
- Emails may go to the wrong person if the address is wrong
- Emails may end up in your junk or spam folder
- Others may intercept, change or forward emails without your knowledge
- Staff may not read or reply to emails right away, so follow up if you don’t get a response
- Emails may be shared, forwarded or stored in paper or electronic records
- Backup copies of emails may still exist after they are deleted
- Emails may be sent to another staff member to respond
- Administration staff may read or send emails on behalf of healthcare professionals
- Employers and email providers may store or review emails sent through their systems
Your privacy and security are important. We take reasonable steps to protect information sent and received by email, but we can’t guarantee its security or confidentiality.
What can be sent by email
Your healthcare professional will tell you what they can send by email. This could include:
- appointment details
- information about tests
- a summary of your appointment for your GP, if you agree.
If you email your health professional, include:
- a clear subject line like ‘appointment’ or ‘advice’
- your full name, date of birth, and patient record number (URN) if you know it.
Don’t use email to send sensitive medical information.
Keeping your email safe
You’re responsible for:
- protecting your email account and password
- telling us if your email address changes
- telling your health professional about information you don’t want to be sent by email.
- Your healthcare provider isn’t responsible for breaches caused by you or someone else.
Encrypted emails
We send emails in an encrypted format to protect your information. How you open the email depends on what email application you’re using. You’ll get instructions on how to read the message.
If you can’t open an encrypted email, contact the clinical service that sent it.
For any questions, ask your health care professional.
Body worn cameras (BWCs)
Our security officers and environmental health officers use body worn cameras (BWCs). BWCs record both video and audio. Officers wear them on their bodies so they’re clearly visible.
Our environmental health officers (EHOs) wear BWCs when they visit tobacco retailers, vape stores, and other places that supply or make smoking products or personal vaporisers.
BWCs are used to make sure that these places and the people who go there follow the rules in the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act (TOSPA) and Medicines and Poisons Act (MPA).
The EHOs will tell the people they talk to when they're being recorded.
Security officers at hospitals and health centres also wear BWCs. They use them to help keep everyone safe, prevent inappropriate behaviour, and make sure safety rules are followed
Our environmental health officers (EHOs) use the footage from BWCs to:
- check if people are following the rules
- decide if enforcement action is needed
- review decisions made by government officials.
Our security officers use footage from BWCs to:
- monitor safety risks at our facilities
- record interactions to help with investigations or solve problems
- collect evidence if something happens that needs further action or review
We can also share these videos with police, lawyers, and courts if we need to.
How we store and protect information
We store information in different ways, including:
- our document and records management systems
- cloud storage
- browser storage
- cookies.
We only keep information for as long as we need it for the purpose we collected it.
We store all information on Australian data servers and comply with the privacy principles set out in the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld).
We use security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, modification and disclosure.
Your choices and rights
You have certain rights regarding your personal information. You can contact us to access, correct, update or delete your personal information at any time.
If you don't want to get marketing communications from us, you can opt out using the instructions in the communication.
Read more about access to information.
Links to other websites
Our website has links to other websites or services. Our privacy statement doesn't apply to those third party websites. We encourage you to read their privacy statements to understand how they handle your data.
Changes to our privacy statement
We may update our privacy statement to reflect changes in our practices or obligations under the privacy legislation.
More about privacy
For more information you can ask us for a copy of our privacy plan or read the Queensland Health Privacy Policy.
Contact us
You can contact our information access unit to access, correct or discuss how we handle your personal information.
