Who do we collect personal information from?
The RACGP generally collects personal information directly from you.
In addition, we may in some cases receive personal information from a third party (for instance, if we receive a complaint) and when it is relevant to our statutory responsibilities (for instance, other regulators who have dealt with you).
What type of information do we collect?
Depending on your role and the nature of the service we provide to you, we collect information such as:
- Registrars: Name, contact details, gender, date and country of birth, resume, qualifications, photograph, banking details, Tax File Number (TFN), Medicare Provider Number (MPN), Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriber number, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (Ahpra) medical registration details, passport number, visa details, information regarding your examination results, training records and participation and progress in the Fellowship Support Program (FSP) or other specialist accreditation training pathways
- Supervisors: Name, contact details, gender, date and country of birth, resume, biography, photograph, membership and accreditation details, banking details, TFN, MPN, PBS prescriber number, STEM number, Ahpra registration details
- Practice staff: Name, contact details, gender, resume, biography, photograph, banking details, TFN
- Training site: Contact details, accreditation details, banking details, Medicare details, practice staff, practice specialities
For what purpose do we collect personal information?
We collect personal information about you to:
- administer and manage the FSP
- facilitate the provision of Medicare Provider Numbers through Services Australia Medicare (Medicare)
- other incidental matters to enable FSP program delivery, including:
- facilitate quality assurance purposes and other program activities such as promotion of the FSP
- conduct research, including research relevant to public health or public safety – for example, to further refine the selection process and FSP policies.
- fulfil our functions, responsibilities under and facilitate compliance of the delivery of the FSP as required by the Department of Health (which requires us to collect certain information), including to maintain appropriate records
- provide information to third parties as authorised or required by law.
What if we didn't collect this personal information?
Without your personal information, we may not be able to administer and deliver the FSP, perform our contractual obligations or provide you with some or all of the services of the FSP.
Disclosure of personal information
We may disclose your personal information to:
- Australian regulators (such as Ahpra, Australian Medical Council)
- Government agencies departments and entities (such as the Department of Health, Services Australia, Department of Home Affairs, state and territory health jurisdictions, primary health networks, Rural Health Workforce Australia and Rural Workforce Agencies, Australian Defence Force)
- subsidiaries and related bodies corporate of the RACGP
- our professional advisors and contractors (strictly on the basis that the information is to be used only for providing services to the RACGP and must not be disclosed)
- third parties as required by law
- your alternate contact
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
Disclosure overseas
The RACGP may use the services of third-party service providers to hold, process and maintain personal information. For example, we use third party IT support providers who may also access our information systems remotely. Some of these third parties may have offices or other operations outside of Australia. Where the RACGP uses third parties, we require the third parties to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and impose as far as possible, confidentiality and privacy obligations that apply to the RACGP, such as requiring that your personal information be retained in Australia wherever possible. All service providers that have access to personal information held by us are required to keep the information confidential and not to make use of it for any purpose other than to provide services in accordance with their engagement.
You can access and correct your personal information
Our Privacy Policy contains information about how you may access your personal information and seek correction of such information, as well as how to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with such a complaint.