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Privacy Policy

Dr. W. James Leahey (“the Practice”) is committed to protecting the privacy of patients and visitors to this website. This policy outlines how personal information is collected, used, disclosed and stored in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic), and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

Information We Collect

The Practice may collect personal information including your name, contact details, date of birth, Medicare number, health information and referral details. This information is collected for the purpose of providing psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment, processing Medicare claims, communicating with referring practitioners, and meeting legal and regulatory obligations.

How We Collect Information

Personal information is primarily collected directly from you, your referring medical practitioner, or other treating health professionals. Information may be collected in person, by telephone, email, fax, or through this website (for example, if you contact us via email).

Use and Disclosure

Your personal and health information will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected, unless you consent or disclosure is required or authorised by law. Information may be shared with your referring GP, other treating health professionals involved in your care, Medicare or health insurers for billing purposes, or as otherwise required by law.

Data Security

The Practice takes reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Clinical records are stored securely in accordance with professional and legal requirements.

Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information the Practice holds about you, and request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. Requests can be made by contacting the Practice directly.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact the Practice in the first instance. You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) or the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC).

Website Privacy

This website does not collect personal information unless you voluntarily provide it (for example, by sending an email). The Practice does not use this website to collect sensitive or health information. Please do not send clinical or urgent information via email or this website.

Cookie Policy

This website uses minimal cookies to ensure basic functionality.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently and to provide information to site owners.

Cookies We Use

This website is a simple, static informational site. It does not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics tools that collect personal information. Any cookies used are strictly necessary for the website to function (for example, session cookies set by the hosting provider).

Third-Party Cookies

This website may link to external sites (such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue, and the Black Dog Institute). These external sites have their own cookie and privacy policies, which the Practice does not control.

Managing Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies will not affect your ability to use this website. For guidance on managing cookies, visit your browser’s help pages or allaboutcookies.org.