Collection statement for Notification (complaint)

This collection statement sets out how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to carry out functions required by law.

How we collect personal information

When you make a complaint (which we refer to as a notification), including through the online form or when you call us, we collect personal information in relation to the notification.

Personal information means information or opinion about an identified individual (or an individual who is reasonably identifiable).

If you do not provide us with your personal information, there may be some limitations to progressing the matter you notify us about (refer to the How to Submit a concern page for more information).

Why we collect personal information

The personal information you provide when making a notification:

• helps us decide whether we need to progress the concerns you have raised about the practitioner and if we need to take any action to prevent future risks;
• may be required by the National Law to investigate a matter and take further action;
• may be used to contact you for further information, to provide you with regular updates on the progress of your concerns, or to support you through the notification process (including through any support services which may be facilitated by us);
• may be disclosed to other parties involved in the notifications process (including the practitioner, the practitioner’s legal representative and insurer, and a panel or tribunal making a decision in relation to the notification); and
• may otherwise be used for purposes that are reasonably necessary for us to conduct our normal functions and activities.

How we disclose personal information

We may disclose the personal information you provide to:

• the practitioner or their legal representative for the purpose of assessing and managing the notification;
• another entity with a responsibility for handling complaints or notifications about health practitioners; investigators; third parties (where this is required for an investigation); tribunals, panels and experts (such as performance and health assessors) where this is required to help us to decide whether action is required in response to the information or complaint;
• entities and persons outside Australia if, for example, the notification relates to a practitioner who practices, or has practiced, overseas;
• third parties to hold, process and maintain personal information. For example, we use third party data processors to store our data in hosted facilities; and
• third party IT support providers who may also access our information systems remotely and this may involve access to personal information. Some of these third parties are located in countries outside Australia. Those countries include Japan, Canada and the United States of America. In all cases, we seek to share the minimum amount of personal data necessary.

National Boards and Ahpra are committed to protecting your personal and sensitive information in accordance with the Privacy Act. Where Ahpra uses third parties, we require the third parties to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Disclosing personal information to the practitioner

Where necessary, we may provide personal information about a notifier to the practitioner.

We will not disclose personal information about a notifier to the practitioner without your consent.

We accept notifications made anonymously or by using a false name (‘pseudonym’).

You can also ask that we do not disclose personal information about the notifier (including the notifier’s name) to the practitioner. We refer to this as a ‘confidential notification’.

There are limitations on progressing anonymous or confidential notifiers. You can read more about anonymous and confidential notifications on the How to Submit a concern page.

Ideally, anonymous or confidential notifications should be made by phone so we can check our understanding of the concerns being raised and also discuss with you any limitations we may face in progressing the matter.

Further information

You can read more about how we obtain and manage personal information in our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy also explains how you can:

• access personal information we hold about you
• seek correction of personal information we hold about you, and
• complain to Ahpra about a breach of your privacy (and how that complaint will be dealt with)

^1. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).