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

This collection statement sets out the way that the Board and Ahpra may collect, use and disclose your information. It is to be read when completing form NOTF-00 – Notification (complaint).

Privacy and confidentiality

The personal information (that is, information identifying you) and sensitive information (such as health information) collected in this form:

• is required by the National Law, and the Board and Ahpra are authorised to collect it, to see if performance action should be taken regarding a practitioner and whether further investigations should occur, 
• may be used to investigate and decide what action to take,
• may be used for the proper operation of the National Law (e.g. for research relevant to the Law),
• depending on the outcome of any investigation, may be used to decide whether to take action in relation to the registration of an affected practitioner or student under the National Law (e.g. to de-register or re-register), and 
• may be used for communications purposes and to provide you with relevant updates and general information about Ahpra’s and the Board’s activities.

If you are not making a mandatory notification (i.e. one required to be made under the National Law), you may choose to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym. But this might limit the effectiveness of any investigation and subsequent action.

The Board or Ahpra may disclose the information you provide to the health practitioner the subject of that information, but not if (in the Board or Ahpra’s reasonable belief) this would prejudice an investigation, place at risk a person’s health or safety or place them at risk of intimidation or harassment.

The Board or Ahpra may:

• disclose the information you provide to another health complaints entity responsible for handling complaints and notifications about health practitioners; investigators; third parties where this is required for an investigation; and tribunals, panels and experts (such as performance and health assessors) where this is required to determine what action to take in response to the information or complaint,  
• disclose to entities and persons outside Australia if, for example, the notification relates to a practitioner who practises, or has practised, overseas,

• use 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
• use 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.

Where Ahpra uses third parties, we require the third parties to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and impose, as far as possible, confidentiality and privacy obligations at least as demanding as those that apply to us.

The Board and Ahpra is committed to protecting your personal and sensitive information in accordance with the Privacy Act. Ahpra’s Privacy Policy explains how you may: access and seek correction of your personal or sensitive information held by Ahpra and the Board; how to complain to Ahpra about a breach of your privacy; and how your complaint will be dealt with. The policy can be accessed on the Privacy page.

Forms relevant to this collection statement: