Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information by Australian Medical Association Ltd

The Australian Medical Association Limited (the AMA) supports good privacy practice, and has developed a policy to protect your privacy in compliance with privacy legislation.

The AMA has been receiving information from members and the public since 1961, in order to represent its member doctors and the public in relation to issues concerning Australian medicine.

This information sheet is intended to ensure that you are aware of our privacy policy.  In particular, we wish to draw your attention to our manner of collecting, using and disclosing your personal information, and our procedures to allow you access to your information.  Further details of our privacy policy are available by contacting us (our details are contained in our letterhead) or via our website at www.ama.com.au.  If you have any specific concerns about our handling of your personal information please contact our Privacy Officer or email privacy@ama.com.au.

Collection of Personal Information

We collect, and will continue to collect personal information about you as a result of and in connection with our ongoing relationship and interaction with you. We will only collect information about you which assists us in performing our functions of representing our members and the public in relation to issues concerning Australian medicine.  The information we collect about you is as provided by you directly to us, by our State and Territory branches as a result of their relationship with you, or through our subsidiary company, Australasian Medical Publishing Company Proprietary Company (AMPCo).  If  we collect information from a source other than you personally, where reasonable, we will inform you that we have collected that information.  We will also ensure that where information is collected from another organisation, that the organisation providing the information complies with the privacy legislation.

If you do not provide us with the necessary information, we may be unable to fully represent your interests, or provide you with all the services which we are able to offer.

Use of Personal Information

We will only use your personal information for the purpose or purposes for which it was collected, or as otherwise permitted by law.  The main reasons why we collect your personal information include:

• To provide copies of AMA publications such as Australian Medicine, GP network news, AMA Fees List etc
• To provide benefits and special offers to members, such as AMA travel, wine club etc

Disclosure of Personal Information

We will only disclose your personal information for the purpose or purposes for which it was collected, or as otherwise permitted by law.  The types of organisations to whom we normally disclose your personal information include:

• Relevant medical colleges are provided with scores on SALT to satisfy requirements for CME
• AMPCo to ensure its database is kept accurate and up to date
• AMA Travel agent to arrange travel as required for AMA business
• Insurance companies and other business organisations so that appropriate business activities of the AMA are insured or otherwise covered
• Various constituent bodies and the governments which request AMA representation
• Where it is required to be given to another entity or organisation by law

If you do not want your personal information disclosed to another organisation, please indicate this at the time your information is collected.  We will make a notation on your record to this effect, and will respect this wish.

Data Quality and Security

We are committed to ensuring that the personal information we hold about you is maintained in a form that is accurate, complete and up to date.  The storage, use and, where necessary, transfer of your personal information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects your privacy.

Openness

We have made this policy, and other material available to AMA members, staff and the public, to inform them of our policies on management of personal information.  On request, we will provide further detail on our information handling processes.

Access to and correction of your personal information

You are entitled to request access and seek corrections in relation to the personal information we hold about you.  Please contact our Privacy Officer to organise access appropriate to your needs.  Under the privacy legislation, there are specified circumstances when access can be denied.  If this should occur in relation to your request, we will provide you with written reasons for the denial of access, and to see whether your request can be accommodated in another manner.

Identifiers

We will not adopt, use or disclose any identifier assigned to you by a government agency, except where required by law.

Anonymity

It is your right to be dealt with anonymously, provided that it is lawful and practicable.  We will try and accommodate this wherever possible.

Transborder Data Flows

Your privacy is protected Australia-wide by the privacy legislation.  We will take steps to protect your privacy if information is to be sent outside Australia.