About this policy

This policy explains how Hearing Implants Australia (“HIA”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, stores and shares your personal information, including your health information.

HIA is operated by [legal entity name, ABN]. We provide hearing implant, hearing aid and vestibular (balance) services to adults across Sydney and regional NSW.

We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), including the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs).

What information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you deal with us. It may include:

• Contact details: your name, address, phone number, email address and date of birth
• Health information: your medical and hearing history, hearing test results, imaging and specialist reports, details of your hearing devices or implants, and notes from your appointments
• Referral information from your GP, specialist or audiologist
• Funding details: Medicare, DVA, private health insurance or NDIS details, where relevant to your care
• Support people: next of kin or emergency contact details, and details of any family member or carer you choose to involve in your care
• Purchase details when you buy spare parts or accessories from us (see below)
• Website information collected when you visit our website (see below)

You can make a general enquiry without giving your name. However, we usually cannot provide clinical care without identifying you.

How we collect it

Where possible, we collect information directly from you: at appointments (in person or by telehealth), by phone or email, through our website contact form, and through forms you complete.

We may also collect information from others, with your consent or where the law allows. This includes your GP, ENT surgeon or other health professionals, hospitals, implant and hearing device manufacturers, and a family member or carer supporting you.

If we receive information we did not ask for and could not have collected, we will destroy or de-identify it where it is lawful and reasonable to do so.

Why we collect and use it

We use your information to provide and manage your care. This includes to:

• assess your hearing and balance, and provide treatment, device programming, rehabilitation and ongoing care
• communicate with your referring doctor and other health professionals involved in your care
• manage bookings and send appointment reminders by SMS or email
• process payments and claims with Medicare, DVA, private health insurers or the NDIS
• register your implant or device with the manufacturer for warranty, repairs and safety notices
• process orders for spare parts and accessories
• improve our services through quality checks, clinical audit and staff training
• meet our legal and professional obligations

We only use your information for research with your consent, in de-identified form, or where the law allows and an ethics committee has approved it.

We only send newsletters or updates if you have agreed to receive them. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We will not use your information for any other purpose unless you consent or the law allows it.

Who we share it with

We only share what is needed for the purpose. Depending on your care, we may share information with:

• your GP, referring doctor, ENT surgeon and other health professionals involved in your care
• hospitals where your surgery takes place
• implant and hearing device manufacturers, for device registration, warranty, repairs and safety notices
• Medicare, DVA, private health insurers or the NDIS, for payments and claims
• service providers who help us run our practice, such as practice management software, IT and cloud storage, telehealth, SMS and email services, payment processors and couriers
• others where we are required or authorised by law, such as under a court order or to lessen a serious threat to someone’s health or safety

We do not sell your personal information.

Spare parts and accessory purchases

When you buy spare parts, batteries or accessories from us, in clinic, by phone or by email, we collect your name, contact details, delivery address, device details (so we supply the right part) and payment details.

Card payments are processed by NAB. We do not store your full card number.

When we post parts to you, we share your name, delivery address and phone number with our courier or Australia Post. We keep purchase records for tax and warranty purposes.

Our website, cookies and analytics

When you visit our website, we automatically collect some technical information. This includes your IP address, browser type, the pages you view and the website that referred you. We collect this using cookies and log files.

We use Google Analytics to understand how people use our website. You can read how Google uses this information and opt out of Google Analytics. You can also turn off cookies in your browser settings.

If you use our contact form, the details you enter are sent to us by email. Please don’t include detailed health information in the form. Call us instead if you would like to discuss your health.

Our website may link to other websites, such as implant manufacturers. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.

Storage, security and data breaches

We store your information in secure electronic records and, in some cases, on paper. We protect it by:

• using password-protected systems and limiting access to staff who need it
• requiring all staff and contractors to keep information confidential
• storing paper records securely
• securely destroying or de-identifying information we no longer need

We keep health records for at least 7 years after your last appointment, as required by NSW law.

If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Accessing and correcting your information

You can ask to see or get a copy of the information we hold about you. Please contact our Privacy Officer (details below). We aim to respond within 30 days.

We will not charge you for making a request, but we may charge a reasonable fee for copying. In limited cases the law allows us to refuse access. If so, we will explain why in writing.

If you think any information we hold is wrong, out of date or incomplete, let us know and we will correct it. If we disagree, we will explain why and, if you ask, add a note of your view to your record.

Information stored overseas

Some of our service providers, such as cloud software and Google Analytics, may store information on servers outside Australia. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure the provider protects your information in line with the APPs.

Questions, complaints and changes

If you have a question or complaint about how we handle your information, please contact our Privacy Officer:

• Privacy Officer: Stefanie Crane
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0458 550 055
• Post: Suite 1002B, Level 10, 438 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

We aim to respond to complaints within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), on 1300 363 992
• the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC), on 1800 472 679, for complaints about health information under NSW law

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on our website.

Last updated: 23rd of October, 2026