• your rights and responsibilities
• your privacy and personal information
• how to give feedback or make a complaint
• how to get someone to act for you and support you

You have rights and responsibilities when you use our services.

We expect staff, volunteers, clients and their carers to respect each other.

We are committed to keeping your information private. Your privacy is also protected by law. We keep your information safe under a high level of security.

If you need to, you can see your health information. You have a right to ask to see your health care record and to ask for it to be corrected if it is wrong.

Some health workers may need to take a photo or photos as part of your care, or record your voice. If you are OK with this, you will complete the consent form in your health care record.

We keep your name and contact details on your personal health care record. Details about your health including information about your condition, your care plan and progress with treatment are written in your health care record each time you visit. 

Collecting information helps us to keep correct details about your needs so we can care for you in the best possible way. 

We also report some general information to the Department of Health. This helps in planning and improving our services. 

We do not pass on any information that could be used to identify you. 

Your information can only be seen by staff at IPC Health who are involved in your care. We only release information about you to other workers if you agree or if the law says we must, such as in a medical emergency. You have a say in what happens to your information.

We will not share your information with
anyone unless:

• you agree and give consent
• you ask us to share the details
• your life, or someone else’s life, is in danger
• we think there is a serious threat to the safety or wellbeing of children or their families
• it is in your best interests
• the law tells us to do so, such as for some infectious diseases and types of cancer, or certain cases being heard by a court

You have the right to not share some of your information or limit who sees your health care record. However, this may make it harder for us to give you
the best possible services.

Talk to us if you wish to change or cancel your consent. 

You have the right to accept or refuse treatment.

Once your health worker has explained your condition(s) and the possible treatments you can choose to give permission or refuse treatment. You will sign your name on the consent form in your health care record next to your choice; for example, refuse or accept treatment.

• you will be treated with kindness and respect
• you will receive high-quality service
• your ethnic, cultural and religious practices and beliefs will be respected
• you will receive information that you can understand and you can have an interpreter if needed
• you will be provided with information that helps you make choices about how to improve your health
• you will be fairly assessed for the services you need 
• you will be involved in decisions about your care
• your personal information will be kept private 
• you can ask for a copy of your personal information 
• your permission will be obtained before we share your personal information with any other services 
• you can ask for a change of health worker 
• you can refuse treatment
• you can refuse the service if it is not right for you now and you can let us know when you are ready 
• you can refuse to have a student or researcher in the room during your appointment 
• you can provide honest feedback and keep using our services 
• we can choose someone to act for you and support you (an advocate) if you need
• you can include a significant other in your care

• if you arrive late for an appointment, we may not be able to give you a full service at that time
• we may not be able to keep giving you services if you miss appointments without letting us know
• there may be a fee for missed appointments

We can refuse service if you:

• appear affected by alcohol or other drugs
• are rude or abusive to staff
• threaten to hurt anyone
• sexually harass anyone

• to be on time for your appointments 
• if you can’t make your appointment, let us know as soon as possible before the appointment
• show respect and be polite to everyone you meet while using our services
• ask for more information if you don’t understand, especially if you need to give your permission for a certain treatment
• if our staff are visiting your home, please make sure it is safe for them to visit. This includes keeping pets away and not smoking when our staff are with you
• follow the advice your health worker gives you to the best of your ability
• tell us the things we need to know about your health so we can give you the best possible services
• help us keep our buildings a safe place for everyone
• respect other people and their privacy at all times
• tell us when your personal details change
• take care of things we lend you for treatment purposes

An advocate is someone who acts for you to get you the services you need. They can also help you understand your rights and responsibilities around your health. An advocate can be: 

• a friend
• a family member 
• someone from an advocacy service

IPC Health is happy for you to ask for an advocate. We will help you get an advocate who is right for you.

If you wish to have a friend or family member come to your appointments or be involved in your care, please speak with your IPC Health worker. 

You can also contact an advocacy service and ask them to do this for you.

You have rights and responsibilities when you use our services  Information for you brochure (English) [PDF]

• Information for you brochure (English) [PDF]
• معلومات لك (Arabic) [PDF]
• သင်အတွက် သတင်းအချက်အလက်များ (Burmese) [PDF] *
• Na Hngalhding Konglam (Chin Haka) [PDF]
• Wël bï yïn ya nyuɔ̈ɔ̈th (Dinka) [PDF]
• اطلاعاتی برای شما (Farsi/Persian) [PDF]
• တၢဂ့်ၢတၢကျိၤလၢနဂီၢ (Karen) [PDF] *
• ꤒꤟꤢꤧ꤬ꤚꤤ꤬ꤒꤟꤢꤧ꤬ꤊꤛꤢ꤭ ꤘꤣ ꤔꤟꤢꤧ꤬ꤑꤢꤩ꤭ (Karenni) [PDF]
• Información para ti (Spanish) [PDF]
• Maelezo kwa ajili Yako (Swahil) [PDF]
• உங் களுக் கான தகவல் கள (Tamil) [PDF]
• Thông Tin dành cho Quý Vị (Vietnamese) [PDF]

Please talk to one of our IPC Health staff members if you have any other questions about what happens to your information while you are in our care, or if you wish to see your health care record.

To see the Australian Government's Services Australia Privacy Policy, visit  https://www.servicesaustralia....