Effective Date: 24 July 2026

At Gait Way Podiatry, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. We understand the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of your health information and comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and other applicable Australian laws governing health information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us or receive our podiatry services.

 

What Personal Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
Personal Information

• Full name

• Date of birth

• Residential address

• Postal address

• Telephone numbers

• Email address

• Emergency contact details

 

Health Information
As a healthcare provider, we may collect sensitive health information including:

• Medical history

• Current medications

• Previous injuries

• Diagnostic imaging and reports

• GP or specialist referrals

• Treatment notes

• Foot assessments

• Biomechanical assessments

• Orthotic prescriptions

• Medicare, DVA, WorkCover or private health insurance details where applicable

 

Website Information
When visiting our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address

• Browser type

• Device information

• Pages visited

• Date and time of access

• Website usage statistics

• Cookies and analytics information

 

How We Collect Information
We collect personal information through:

• Appointment booking forms

• Contact forms

• Telephone conversations

• Email correspondence

• In-person consultations

• Referral letters from healthcare providers

• Medicare, DVA or insurance documentation

• Online enquiries

• Website analytics

• Social media interactions where appropriate

Whenever practical, we collect information directly from you.
 

Why We Collect Your Information
We collect personal information to:

• Provide podiatry assessment and treatment

• Maintain accurate clinical records

• Arrange appointments

• Communicate regarding your care

• Send appointment reminders

• Process payments

• Manage Medicare, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover and private health insurance claims

• Respond to enquiries

• Improve our services

• Meet our legal and professional obligations

Where you consent, we may also send educational information, newsletters or practice updates. You may unsubscribe at any time.

 

Disclosure of Personal Information
Your information may be shared where necessary with:

• Your General Practitioner

• Medical specialists

• Allied health professionals involved in your care

• Hospitals

• Medicare

• Department of Veterans' Affairs

• NDIS providers

• WorkCover insurers

• Private health insurers

• Pathology or imaging providers

• Debt recovery agencies where legally appropriate

• Government authorities where required by law

We will only disclose information necessary for your treatment or where authorised or required by law.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

 

Storage and Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information against:

• Loss

• Misuse

• Unauthorised access

• Unauthorised disclosure

• Alteration

• Destruction

Information is stored using secure electronic practice management systems and, where applicable, locked physical records.
Only authorised staff have access to your personal information.

 

Website Cookies
Our website may use cookies to improve your browsing experience.
Cookies help us:

• Understand website traffic

• Improve website functionality

• Measure marketing performance

• Provide a better user experience

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, although some website functionality may be affected.

 

Analytics
We may use services such as Google Analytics and similar tools to understand how visitors use our website.
These services collect anonymous information including:

• Pages viewed

• Time spent on pages

• Device type

• General geographic location

• Referral sources

This information does not personally identify you.
 

Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to external websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.
Accessing or Correcting Your Information
You have the right to request access to your personal information and request corrections if the information is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
Requests should be made in writing.
We may refuse access where permitted under Australian privacy legislation.

 

Retention of Records
Health records are retained in accordance with Australian legal requirements.
Records are securely destroyed when they are no longer required by law to be retained.

 

Marketing Communications
If you have subscribed to receive marketing communications from us, you may unsubscribe at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails

• Contacting our clinic directly

We will not send marketing communications without your consent where consent is required.
Children
Where services are provided to children, personal information may be collected from a parent or legal guardian where appropriate.

 

Advertising Measurement
To understand which of our ads lead to appointments, we share limited booking information with our advertising platforms, currently Google and Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Where this includes contact details such as your email or phone number, we convert them into a secure, irreversible hashed form before sharing, and we only do so where you have given consent. Because Google and Meta are based overseas, this involves disclosing information to recipients in the United States and other countries. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at [clinic email], and we will stop including your details in this measurement.