Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 11-Aug-2026

1. Our commitment to your privacy

Supernova Medical Centre is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal and health information. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect that information, and how you can access or correct it.

We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and with the Health Privacy Principles under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), which apply specifically to health service providers in Victoria.

A copy of the APPs is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

2. What information we collect

We collect personal and health information reasonably necessary to provide you with medical, dental, and allied health care, and to run our practice. This may include:

Names, contact details, date of birth, and Medicare/health fund details
Medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment, and medication records
Notes, referrals, test and imaging results, and correspondence with other health providers
Billing, payment, and health fund/Medicare claim information
Information you provide through our website, over the phone, by email, or in person

Where practical, we collect information directly from you. Sometimes we collect it from third parties — for example, referring doctors, specialists, pathology or radiology providers, hospitals, or your health fund — where necessary for your care or where you have consented.

Calls handled by our AI phone assistant

When you call our practice, your call may be answered by an AI assistant (powered by Healthengine). Where this occurs, your personal information may be collected, recorded, and transcribed to help us respond to your enquiry and improve our service. If you would prefer not to provide information this way, you can ask to be transferred to a staff member.

Cookies and website use

Our website uses cookies to support site functionality and improve your browsing experience. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect how parts of the website function.

3. Why we collect, use, and hold your information

We collect and use your information to:

Provide you with medical, dental, and allied health care and treatment
Communicate with you, including appointment reminders and recalls for preventive care (you can opt out of these at any time)
Process Medicare, health fund, and payment claims (including via HICAPS)
Refer you to, or coordinate care with, other health professionals
Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Manage and improve our practice, including staff training and service quality

We will not use your information for any other purpose without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

4. Health and sensitive information

Health information is treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act and Health Records Act, and is subject to a higher standard of protection. We only collect, use, or disclose sensitive information:

For the purpose it was collected, or a directly related secondary purpose you would reasonably expect
With your consent
Where required or authorised by law (for example, mandatory notifiable disease reporting)

5. Who we may disclose your information to

We may disclose your personal and health information to:

Other treating health professionals involved in your care (specialists, allied health, hospitals, pathology/radiology providers)
Medicare, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and private health funds, for billing and claiming purposes
Your employer, their insurer, or authorised representative, only in relation to a work-related consultation, and only with your consent
Third-party service providers who support our practice (for example, our practice management software provider, appointment/telehealth platforms, and our AI call-handling provider, Healthengine), under confidentiality obligations
Regulatory or government bodies where required by law

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not disclose it for marketing by unrelated third parties.

Overseas disclosure

[Confirm and complete this section based on your actual software/hosting providers.] Some of the third-party services we use to store or process information (such as our practice management or cloud storage systems) may store data on servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

6. Security of your information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. This includes restricting access to authorised staff only, using secure electronic systems, and physically securing paper records.

7. How long we keep your information

We retain medical records for a minimum of 7 years from the date of your last visit. For patients who were under 18 at the time of treatment, we retain records until they turn 25 years of age, in line with Victorian health record-keeping requirements.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

8. Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to access the personal and health information we hold about you, and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

To make a request, contact us in writing at info@supernovamedical.com.au or 14 Lavinia Drive, Tarneit, VIC 3029. We will not charge for the request itself but may charge a reasonable administrative fee for providing copies of records. We may require proof of identity before releasing information.

In limited circumstances permitted by law, we may need to deny or limit access — for example, where release could pose a serious risk to your health and safety. We will explain our reasons if this applies.

9. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first:

Privacy Officer
Supernova Medical Centre
14 Lavinia Drive, Tarneit, VIC 3029
Phone: 03 8866 5544
Email: info@supernovamedical.com.au

We will investigate and respond to your complaint within a reasonable time.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Website: www.oaic.gov.au | Phone: 1300 363 992

Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
Website: www.hcc.vic.gov.au | Phone: 1300 582 113

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. The current version will always be available on our website.

This policy does not form part of, and should not be read together with, generic website terms and conditions. For any questions about this policy, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details above.

To protect our patients’ privacy and security, Supernova Medical Centre strictly adheres to the following policy: neither our staff nor any representatives of Supernova Medical Centre will ever request patients to provide bank account details or payment card information through online links or unsolicited phone calls. We strongly advise all patients to exercise caution and follow these guidelines:

1. Do not share any sensitive financial information, such as bank account details or payment card information, through online links or unsolicited phone calls.

2. If you receive any such requests, immediately verify their authenticity by contacting our clinic directly.

3. To verify the legitimacy of any request, please call our clinic using the official phone number provided on our website or visit the reception staff in person.

Your privacy and security are of utmost importance to us, and we appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a safe environment for everyone at Supernova Medical Centre.

Note: Always ensure that you communicate and verify sensitive information through secure channels, such as official clinic phone numbers or in-person interactions.