Collection statement for form NOTF-00 – Notification (complaint)

About

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 complete this form and send it to us, we collect personal information contained in the form.

Personal information means information and/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 here for more information).

Why we collect personal information

The personal information you provide in the form:

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 needed under the National Law¹ to investigate a matter and take further action
may be used to contact you for further information and to give you regular updates on the progress of your concerns
may be disclosed to other parties involved in the notifications process (including the registered health practitioner, the practitioner’s legal representative and insurer, and a panel and/or tribunal when making a decision about 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 and/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 needed for an investigation); tribunals, panels and experts (such as performance and health assessors) where this is needed to help us to decide whether action is necessary in response to the information or complaint
entities and persons outside Australia if, for example, the notification relates to a health practitioner who practises, or has practised, 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 health 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 here.

Ideally, anonymous or confidential notifications should be made by phone so we can check your and 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 managed).

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