PRIVACY POLICY
Your privacy is important to us. From time to time, we may collect and manage your personal information to meet your needs, to meet our needs, and in circumstances where we are required by law. “Personal information” may include, but is not limited to, your name, address, phone number, email address, age, gender, your employer and your position title etc.
Any information we receive from you via the contact form on this website is only used to handle your immediate enquiry and provide appropriate service to the best of our ability. We take confidentiality extremely seriously and your information is never shared, sold or distributed to any third party. We will not add you to a mailing list or give your personal information to third parties without your prior consent, unless required by law.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect information on visitor patterns for the purpose of improving our website and services. We do not identify users or any browser activity outside this website, unless in exceptional circumstances or required by law. The information gathered from Google Analytics is not used to identify any personal information about visitors.
Times GP Pty Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external websites linked to from this website or the privacy policy of those websites.
INTERNET AND EMAIL POLICY
Times GP recognises the practice team requires access to email and the internet to assist in the efficient and safe delivery of healthcare services to our patients. Times GP supports the right of staff to have access to reasonable personal use of the internet and email communications in the workplace using the devices and networks provided by the practice.
Purpose and objectives
This policy sets out guidelines for acceptable use of internet and email by the practice team, contractors and other staff of Times GP. Internet and email is provided primarily to assist the team carry out their duties of employment.
Scope
This internet and email policy applies to the practice team, contractors and other staff of Times GP who access the internet and email on practice owned devices, including, but not limited to desk phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, iPads and other tablet devices] to perform their work.
Use of the internet by the practice team, contractors and other staff is permitted and encouraged where this supports the goals and objectives of Times GP. Access to the internet is a privilege and the practice team, contractors and other staff must adhere to this policy.
Violation of these policies could result in:
- disciplinary and/or legal action
- termination of employment
- the practice team, contractors and other staff being held personally liable for damages caused by any violations of this policy
All employees are required to confirm they have understood and agree to abide by this email and internet policy.
Policy content
The practice team, contractors and other staff may use the internet and email access provided by Times GP for:
- any work and work-related purposes
- limited personal use
- more extended personal use under specific circumstances (see below)
Limited personal use of email and internet
Limited personal use is permitted where it:
- is infrequent and brief use
- does not interfere with the duties of the practice team, contractors and other staff
- does not interfere with the operation of your general practice
- does not compromise the security of your general practice
- does not impact on your general practice electronic storage capacity
- does not decrease your general practice network performance (eg large email attachments can decrease system performance and potentially cause system outages)
- does not incur any additional expense for your general practice
- does not violate any legislation
- does not compromise any confidentiality requirements of your general practice
Unacceptable internet and email use
The practice team, contractors and other staff may not use internet or email access provided by Times GP to:
- creating or exchanging messages that are offensive, harassing, obscene or threatening
- visiting web sites containing objectionable (including pornographic) or criminal material
- exchanging any confidential or sensitive information held by your general practice
- creating, storing or exchanging information in violation of copyright laws
- using internet-enabled activities such as gambling, gaming, conducting a business or conducting illegal activities
- creating or exchanging advertisements, solicitations, chain letters and other unsolicited or bulk email
- playing electronic or online games in work time.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
This policy provides guidance for members of the practice on using social media internally and externally. The policy helps identify and mitigate risks associated with social media use.
Definition
For the purposes of this policy, ‘social media’ is online social networks used to disseminate information through online interaction.
Purpose
Regardless of whether social media is used for business-related activity or for personal reasons, the following policy requirements apply to all GPs and practice staff of the practice. GPs and practice staff are legally responsible for their online activities, and if found to be in breach of this policy. Breaching of this policy will be considered as Serious Misconduct in the Employment Contract signed by practice staff.
Use of practice social media accounts
The practice will appoint a staff member as a social media officer responsible for managing and monitoring the practice’s social media accounts. All posts on the practice’s social media website must be approved by this staff member or other staff as authorised by the management team. The practice reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion.
Staff conduct on social media
When using the practice’s social media, practice staff will not:
- post any material that
- is unlawful, threatening, defamatory, pornographic, inflammatory, menacing or offensive
- infringes or breaches another person’s rights (including intellectual property rights) or privacy, or misuses the practice’s or another person’s confidential information (eg do not submit confidential information relating to our patients, personal information of staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public)
- is materially damaging or could be materially damaging to the practice’s reputation or image, or another individual
- is in breach of any of the practice’s policies or procedures
- use social media to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages, or solicit other users to buy or sell products or services or donate money
- impersonate another person or entity (eg by pretending to be someone else or another practice employee or other participant when you submit a contribution to social media) or by using another’s registration identifier without permission
- tamper with, hinder the operation of, or make unauthorised changes to the social media sites
- knowingly transmit any virus or other disabling feature to or via the practice’s social media account, or use in any email to a third party, or the social media site
- attempt to do or permit another person to do any of these things
- claim or imply that you are speaking on the practice’s behalf, unless you are authorised to do so
- disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to the practice, or to any third party that has disclosed information to the practice
- be defamatory, harassing or in violation of any other applicable law
- include confidential or copyrighted information (eg music, videos, text belonging to third parties)
- violate any other applicable policy of the practice.
Monitoring social media sites
The practice’s social media channels are part of our customer service and are regularly monitored and dealt with. When an enquiry or complaint is received via social media, a response will be provided within 48 hours.
Testimonials
The practice complies with AHPRA national law and takes reasonable steps to remove testimonials that advertise their health services (which may include comments about the practitioners themselves). The practice is not responsible for removing (or trying to have removed) unsolicited testimonials published on a third-party website or in social media accounts over which they do not have control.
Personal social media use
Staff are free to personally engage in social media outside of work hours, as long as their actions do not have the potential to bring the practice into disrepute. Employees may not represent personal views expressed as those of this practice.
Any social media posts by staff on their personal social media platforms must not reveal confidential information about the practice or a person who uses the practice (eg staff should not post information relating to patients or other staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public).
Staff should respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure and other applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms.
