Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the health professional Councils regulate the conduct and performance of health professionals in NSW and perform any other functions imposed by law. The Health Professional Councils Authority provides staffing, administrative and business services to support the Council in performing these statutory functions.

The Health Professional Councils Authority and the health professional Councils are bound by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and information privacy principles in relation to handling personal information and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 and the health privacy principles in relation to handling health information.
 

Who do we collect the personal information from?

We generally collect your personal information directly from you. However, in some cases, we may receive your personal information from a third party (for instance if we receive a complaint or notification from a practitioner) and when it is relevant to our statutory responsibilities (for instance other regulators who have dealt with you).
 

For what purposes do we collect personal information?

We collect your personal information to:

• fulfil our functions and responsibilities under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, facilitate compliance with Health Care Complaints Act 1993, and associated regulations (which require and authorise us to collect certain information) including to maintain regulatory and corporate records;
• provide information to third parties, such as Ahpra and the National Boards for each health profession as authorised or required by law;
• for research, training and management purposes in accordance with Statutory guidelines issued under privacy law;
• to share information on the safety, welfare or wellbeing of children in accordance with the Children and Young Person Care and Protection Act 1998 (NSW); and
• to use and disclose information for law enforcement purposes, or to comply with subpoenas, summons or warrants.

What if we didn't collect this personal information?

Without your personal information we may not be able to process your application or request or perform our statutory functions.
 

Who are the types of bodies and persons to whom we usually disclose your personal information?

Your personal information may be provided to:

• our professional advisors and contractors (strictly on the basis that the information is to be used only for providing services to or preforming functions on behalf of the HPCA or the Health Professional Councils and must not be otherwise disclosed);
• Australian and overseas health care regulators including the Health Care Complaints Commission, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards;
• Commonwealth entities having functions relating to professional services provided by health practitioners; and
• other government entities where authorised or required by law.

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.
 

Disclosure overseas

If you practise an equivalent health profession in another country (or apply to do so), we may send your personal information overseas in response to an inquiry from the relevant regulatory authority.
 

You can access and correct your personal information

You may access your personal and health information and seek correction of such information and complain about an infringement or contravention of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 by contacting us on the details below.
 

Privacy complaints

Complaints can be made about privacy breaches to us. You will be informed in writing of the result of your complaint and we will inform the NSW Privacy Commissioner.

You can also make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner. You can contact the Office of the NSW Privacy Commissioner via telephone at 1800 472 679 or visit the Information and Privacy Commission NSW.
 

Further information

For further details about how the HPCA and the Health Professional Councils collect and manage personal and health information see our NSW Health Privacy Management Plan and the NSW Health Privacy Manual for Health information.