Privacy policy
Australian Medical Association Queensland Limited (trading as AMA Queensland) (ACN 009 660 280) maintains a policy of strict confidence concerning your (you, your) personal information (Privacy Policy). AMA Queensland is the peak membership organisation representing doctors and medical students in Queensland. We support and represent our members through advocacy, policy development and the provision of a range of member services, benefits and events. We also seek to promote and protect the interests of patients and the wider community in Queensland by working with government, providing information, reports and commentary on health issues, advocacy and active involvement in health policy debate.
AMA Queensland is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the information we collect from members, visitors to our website, people who contact us and from our suppliers and partners in accordance with relevant laws. This Privacy Policy has been developed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). The Privacy Policy applies to the collection, storage, use and dissemination of your personal information by us. By accessing this site (Site) or otherwise using our services you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy applies to information provided to us whether via the Site or any other means.
1. Collecting personal information
AMA Queensland collects personal information from members,
students or doctors enquiring about or applying for membership, members of the
public, journalists, government agencies and other organisations seeking
information or comment, visitors to our website, and persons purchasing
services from us and from our suppliers.
The information you provide to us is collected to enhance
your use of the Site, to improve the Site and to keep you informed of upcoming
events and our activities that might be relevant to you. It is also collected
to allow us to provide the functions and services offered on the Site to
you.
Other personal information we collect is for the purpose of
providing our services. We will generally collect personal information directly
from you. This may include your contact details and sensitive information such
as health information.
Much of this information is collected directly from the
person concerned, including through the member application and renewals
processes, emails, telephone calls, the AMA Queensland website, apps and mobile
devices. We also collect this information from publicly available websites,
directories and databases and via social media and survey tools such as Microsoft
Forms.
In relation to applicants for membership and members, the
information collected will include (where applicable) your practice and
personal address and telephone/fax number(s), your email address(es), medical
specialty/specialties and interests, languages spoken and membership of other
medical associations, Colleges and professional groups.
We will need your name and full contact details for
information regarding membership and membership services. For members of the
public who contact AMA Queensland for general information, we will not need
your name and will accept a pseudonym if preferred. However, this will not
apply if it is impracticable for us to communicate with you that way or if we
are required or authorised under Australian law (or a court or tribunal order)
to only deal with individuals who have identified themselves.
We may also collect personal information from third parties
such as your representatives or publicly available sources of information.
If someone other than you provides us with personal
information about you that we did not ask for and we determine that we could
have collected this information from you had we asked for it, we will notify
you as soon as practicable. However, this notice will not be provided if doing
so would be a breach of an obligation of confidence. If we could not have
collected this personal information, we will lawfully de-identify or destroy
that personal information.
We will only collect sensitive information
revealing your race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or
philosophical beliefs, trade union memberships or details of health or
disability if:
- you have given express consent to us to do so and the information is reasonably necessary for us to carry out our functions or activities;
- the use of this information is required or authorised under Australian law or a court or tribunal order; or
- the information is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.
2. Cookies
When you visit the Site the server may attach a
"cookie" to your computer's memory.
A “cookie” assists us to store information on how visitors to the Site
use it and the pages that may be of most interest. This information may be used
to provide users of your computer with information that we think may interest
them. If you choose, you could be able to configure your computer so that it
disables “cookies” or does not accept them.
3. Use and disclosure of information
We use personal information to provide our services.
AMA Queensland stores and uses this information to provide
services to our members, to provide information and services to the media,
government and community and to enable us to advocate on behalf of our members
and the community on health issues.
We only provide others with information that would identify
you if it is necessary to provide you with the service or information that you
requested, you have agreed to us providing it to them or it is already publicly
available information.
We may also provide your personal information, at our
discretion, to related bodies including the AMAQ Foundation (ACN 093 701 083),
the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) and the Australian
Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation of Queensland (ASMOFQ).
We will not disclose information that personally
identifies you to any third party other than as set out in this Privacy Policy.
In order to deliver our services, we may disclose your personal information to
other organisations but only in relation to providing our services to you. We
take reasonable steps to ensure that these organisations are bound by privacy
obligations in relation to the protection of your personal information.
4. Direct marketing
We may use personal information about you for the primary
purpose of providing you with our services. We may also use it for other
purposes for which you might reasonably expect us to use that information.
We use your personal information to keep you informed about
pertinent updates, member services, products, publications and events by post,
telephone or any form of electronic communication. You authorise us to use any
email address or other contact information you provide to us at any time for
this purpose.
When a person applies for membership of AMA Queensland they
are provided with an opportunity to decline or to indicate what types of goods
or services for which they are interested in receiving further information.
If at any time you have a concern about direct marketing
material you have received from us or through use by others of our databases,
or you wish to change your preferences in relation to receipt of future
material, please contact us by emailing our membership team at [email protected]
You agree and acknowledge that even if you opt out of
receiving marketing material, we will still send you essential information that
we are required to send you relating to the services we provide.
5. Accuracy of your information
We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal
information held by us is accurate, complete and up to date. If you believe
that any of your personal information is inaccurate, please contact AMA
Queensland’s membership team via email at [email protected] or phone 07 3872 2222 and we will take reasonable steps to correct it.
6. Third Parties and your information
We will only collect, store, use or disseminate information
that personally identifies you as set out in this Privacy Policy unless we are
required by law to protect our rights or property (or those of any third party)
or to avoid injury to any person.
This Site may link directly to websites operated by third
parties (Linked Sites). You acknowledge that Linked Sites are not
operated by us. We encourage you to always read the applicable privacy policy
of any Linked Site. We are not responsible for the content or practices of the
Linked Sites or their privacy policies regarding the collection, storage, use
and dissemination of your personal information.
7. Transfer of Information Overseas
We or our contracted data storage providers may use third
party service providers who may disclose your personal information to parties
in foreign countries.
For example, we use survey tools such as Survey Monkey and
Microsoft Forms for member surveys and event evaluations. SurveyMonkey data is stored securely on
servers in the United States. We may also exchange information with
international subscriber medical journals from time to time.
By providing personal information to us you
consent to this disclosure.
8. Your consent
By your use of the Site and our services, you consent to the
collection, storage, use and dissemination of your personal information in
accordance with this Privacy Policy and as otherwise permitted under the
Privacy Act.
9. Storage and security
We store your information at our premises, in electronic
systems under our control and with contracted data storage providers. We take
appropriate steps to protect the security of the information we hold about you,
including protections against unauthorised access, virus or other electronic
intrusions, fire, theft or loss. We require our staff and contracted providers
to do the same.
While we will use all reasonable endeavours to keep your
personal information in a secure environment, this security cannot always be
guaranteed. Our procedures are designed to prevent your personal information
being accessed by unauthorised personnel, lost or misused. If you reasonably
believe that there has been unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal
information please contact our membership team via email at [email protected] or by phone on
07 3872 2222.
We generally keep your personal information active for as
long as is reasonably required to enable us to meet your needs. Where we
collect private information outside of member registration and once data is
utilised it will not be retained.
We keep membership records and other personal information on
file to enable us to undertake statistical and historical analysis and
reporting. As part of our data security, we regularly backup and archive our
electronic databases.
We also keep membership records and other personal
information on file and may contact former members from time to time to offer
them the opportunity to renew their membership of AMA Queensland or to provide
them with information relevant to doctors and medical students in Queensland.
If you do not wish to receive this information, please contact the AMA
Queensland membership team at [email protected] or phone 07 3872 2222.
If we no longer need your personal information,
unless we are required under Australian law or a court or tribunal order to
retain it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or securely delete your
personal information.
10. Variation and consent to variation
We may vary the terms of this Privacy Policy at any time.
You should check this Privacy Policy regularly so that you are aware of any
variations made to this Privacy Policy. You will be deemed to have consented to
such variations by your continued use of the Site or our
services following such changes being made.
11. Access to information we hold about you
If you request access to the personal information we hold
about you, we will respond to your request within a reasonable period of time
and, where reasonable and practicable, give access to the information in the
manner you request. This will be subject to any exemptions allowed under the
Privacy Act. You may request this information by writing to our Privacy
Officer:
c/o Membership team
Australian Medical Association Queensland
Mail address: PO Box 123, Red Hill QLD 4059
or sending an email to us at [email protected]
Phone: 07 3872 2222
We may charge a
reasonable fee for providing that information.
When contacting us, you have the option to either not
identify yourself or to use a pseudonym.
However, this will not apply if it is impracticable for us to
communicate with you that way or if we are required or authorised under
Australian law (or a court or tribunal order) to only deal with individuals who
have identified themselves.
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