Privacy Policy

Kiama and Coast Speech Pathology Pty Ltd (ABN: 12 701 348 423, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal and health information we hold. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use and store it, and your rights, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Information We Collect

Depending on your involvement with our practice, we may collect:

Identifying details: name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email address
Health information: medical and developmental history, referral and assessment information, diagnoses, treatment notes, progress records, and reports
Funding and billing information: Medicare number, DVA details, NDIS participant number and plan details, private health fund details, and payment information
Emergency contact and, for clients under the age of 18, parent/guardian and family information
Communications you send us, including via our website, email, or phone.

How We Collect Information

We collect information directly from you (or, for people under the age of 18, from a parent or guardian), and may also receive information from referring GPs and other health professionals, the NDIS, Medicare, DVA, private health insurers, day programs and aged care providers, where relevant to your care and with appropriate consent.

Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We collect and use personal and health information to:

Provide safe and appropriate speech pathology assessment and treatment
Communicate with you about appointments, care, and accounts
Process claims and payments through Medicare, DVA, NDIS, icare, private health funds, or directly
Coordinate care with other treating practitioners, with your consent
Meet our legal, clinical record-keeping, and professional obligations (including Speech Pathology Australia requirements)

Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell or rent personal information. We only disclose it:

To other health professionals involved in your care, with your consent
To Medicare, DVA, the NDIS, or your private health fund, as needed to process claims
To our practice management, billing, and IT service providers, who are bound by confidentiality obligations
Where required or authorised by law (for example, mandatory reporting obligations, or a court order)
In a genuine emergency, where disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Storage and Security

Your information is stored in secure, cloud-based practice management software with access restricted to authorised staff. We take reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure, including secure login access and staff confidentiality obligations.

Clinical records are retained in line with our professional and legal obligations; generally a minimum of 7 years for adults, and until a child turns 25, in accordance with NSW health records requirements.

Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete. Requests can be made in writing to admin@kiamaandcoastspeech.com.au. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and may need to verify your identity before releasing information.

Website and Online Enquiries

If you contact us or make a booking enquiry through our website, we collect the information you provide (such as your name, contact details, and the content of your message) solely to respond to your enquiry. This information is processed through a third-party practice management software Splose.

Overseas Disclosure

Some of our service providers (such as cloud-based practice management or communication platforms) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information continues to be handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Children and Young People

For clients under 18, we collect and manage information with the consent of a parent or guardian, who may also exercise access and correction rights on the child's behalf.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer, Sarah Kay at sarah@kiamaandcoastspeech.com.au. We will investigate and respond to your complaint as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

Changes to this Policy

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

Contact Us

Kiama and Coast Speech Pathology Pty Ltd
Phone: 0494 506 701
Email: admin@kiamaandcoastspeech.com.au

Last updated: 7 October 2026