Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties. When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.  Our practice is mindful that even if patients have provided electronic contact details, they may not be proficient in communicating via electronic means and patient consent needs to be obtained before engaging in electronic communication. Electronic communication includes email, facsimile, and Short Message Service (SMS).  Communication with patients via electronic means is conducted with appropriate regard to privacy. To see our full privacy or email and information policy, please contact the practice.

Bannockburn Medical Centre Social Medial Policy

Current as of: 29.05.2025

Introduction

This policy provides guidance for members of the practice on using social media internally and externally. The policy helps identify and mitigate risks associated with social media use.

Definition

For the purposes of this policy, ‘social media’ is online social networks used to disseminate information through online interaction.

Purpose

Regardless of whether social media is used for business-related activity or for personal reasons, the following policy requirements apply to all GPs and practice staff of the practice. GPs and practice staff are legally responsible for their online activities, and if found to be in breach of this policy disciplinary action will be taken, including possible termination of employment for serious breach and misconduct.

Use of practice social media accounts

The practice will appoint a staff member as a social media officer responsible for managing and monitoring the practice’s social media accounts. The social media officer must provide approval and permission for nominated staff member to assist in managing social media – BMC Facebook Page and website.   The practice reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion.

Staff conduct on social media

When using the practice’s social media, practice staff will not:

• post any material that
• is unlawful, threatening, defamatory, pornographic, inflammatory, menacing or offensive
• infringes or breaches another person’s rights (including intellectual property rights) or privacy, or misuses the practice’s or another person’s confidential information (eg do not submit confidential information relating to our patients, personal information of staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public)
• is materially damaging or could be materially damaging to the practice’s reputation or image, or another individual
• is in breach of any of the practice’s policies or procedures
• use social media to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages, or solicit other users to buy or sell products or services or donate money
• impersonate another person or entity (eg by pretending to be someone else or another practice employee or other participant when you submit a contribution to social media) or by using another’s registration identifier without permission
• tamper with, hinder the operation of, or make unauthorized changes to the social media sites
• knowingly transmit any virus or other disabling feature to or via the practice’s social media account, or use in any email to a third party, or the social media site
• attempt to do or permit another person to do any of these things
• claim or imply that you are speaking on the practice’s behalf, unless you are authorised to do so
• disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to the practice, or to any third party that has disclosed information to the practice
• be defamatory, harassing or in violation of any other applicable law
• include confidential or copyrighted information (eg music, videos, text belonging to third parties)
• violate any other applicable policy of the practice.

Monitoring social media sites

The practice’s social media channels are part of our customer service and should be monitored and dealt with regularly.

Platforms should be updated at least every month to ensure information is relevant.

Patient comments and feedback should be checked and actioned every week.

Testimonials

The practice complies with AHPRA national law and takes reasonable steps to remove testimonials that advertise their health services (which may include comments about the practitioners themselves). The practice is not responsible for removing (or trying to have removed) unsolicited testimonials published on a third-party website or in social media accounts over which they do not have control.

Personal social media use

Staff are free to personally engage in social media outside of work hours, as long as their actions do not have the potential to bring the practice into disrepute. Employees may not represent personal views expressed as those of this practice.

Any social media posts by staff on their personal social media platforms must not reveal confidential information about the practice or a person who uses the practice (eg staff should not post information relating to patients or other staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public).

Staff should respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure and other applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms.

Breach of policy

All social media activities must be in line with this policy.

Policy review statement

This policy will be reviewed yearly or as required.  All staff will be notified of any changes