Privacy Policy

About this policy

Lynbrook Optical ("we", "us", "our") is an optometry practice at Lynbrook Village Shopping Centre Shop 15, 75 Lynbrook Boulevard, Lynbrook. VIC. 3975. We respect your privacy and handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Because we provide health services in Victoria, we also handle health information in line with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it and how you can access or correct it. It applies to information collected in our practice, by phone and email, and through this website.

Information we collect

We only collect information we need to provide our services. Depending on how you deal with us, this may include:

• Contact details: your name, address, phone number and email address.
• Identity and billing details: your date of birth, Medicare number and private health fund details.
• Health information: your eye health and general medical history, symptoms, medications, examination and test results, prescriptions and referrals.
• Appointment details: booking times, the services you request and notes you give us when you book.
• Payment details: how you paid. Card and claiming transactions are processed by the payment and claiming providers you choose to use.
• Website information: details sent through our forms and anonymous information about how our website is used.

How we collect information

Wherever we can, we collect information directly from you, for example when you:

• visit our practice or have an eye examination;
• call or email us;
• book an appointment or send an enquiry through our website.

Sometimes we receive information from others, such as a referral from your doctor or another health practitioner, or from Medicare or your health fund when a claim is processed. We only do this with your consent or where the law allows it.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

• provide eye examinations, treatment and advice;
• prescribe, order and fit glasses and contact lenses;
• manage appointments and send appointment confirmations and reminders;
• let you know when your next eye examination is due;
• process Medicare and private health fund claims and payments;
• respond to your enquiries and feedback;
• improve our services and our website;
• meet our legal and professional obligations.

We will only send you news or offers if you have agreed to receive them, and you can opt out at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe option in the message.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal information. We only share it when it is needed for your care, when you have agreed, or when the law requires or allows it. This may include:

• other health practitioners involved in your care, such as your doctor or an ophthalmologist;
• Medicare (Services Australia) and your private health fund, to process claims;
• laboratories and suppliers that make your glasses or contact lenses, which receive only what they need, such as your prescription and frame details;
• service providers that help us run the practice, such as our online booking and enquiry forms, IT and payment providers;
• government authorities and others when required or authorised by law.

Storage outside Australia

Some of the services behind our website, such as our online booking and enquiry forms and website analytics, are provided by companies that may store or process information outside Australia, including in the United States. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure your information is handled in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Our website, cookies and analytics

We use Google Analytics, through Google Tag Manager, to understand how visitors use our website, such as the pages viewed and the type of device used. This information does not identify you personally. These services use cookies, which are small files stored by your browser. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the website will still work.

Our booking and enquiry forms are provided by a third-party service. Information you enter in those forms is sent to us through that service. Maps and other embedded content on our website come from third parties, such as Google, which may set their own cookies under their own privacy policies.

Keeping your information safe

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, change or disclosure. Paper and electronic records are kept securely and only our team members who need them can access them.

We keep health records for the periods required by law. When information is no longer needed, we securely destroy it or remove the details that identify you.

Email and the internet are never completely secure. Please consider this before sending sensitive information to us by email.

Access and correction

You can ask to see the personal and health information we hold about you, and ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete. Please contact us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable period. If we cannot give you access or make a correction, we will explain why in writing, unless it would be unreasonable to do so.

Anonymity

You can ask general questions without telling us who you are. To provide eye examinations, prescriptions and claims, we need to know who you are.

Questions and complaints

If you have a question or concern about how we handle your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. We will look into your concern and respond to you.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: oaic.gov.au, phone 1300 363 992, GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001;
• for health information, the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner: hcc.vic.gov.au, phone 1300 582 113.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always available on this page, with the date it was last updated shown at the top.