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Privacy Policy

Privacy disclosure statement

Privacy and your information

SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) recognises the importance of protecting the privacy of individuals’ personal information.

What information does SAAS collect?

SAAS only collects personal information which is relevant and necessary for the purposes of SAAS operations.

Personal information may be collected when SAAS provides patients with ambulance services (e.g. clinical care and ambulance transportation) or other products and services (e.g. Ambulance Cover, ACE Cover or Call Direct services). This information is usually collected directly from the relevant individuals, although from time-to-time it may also be collected from third-party sources such as government agencies, health professionals, emergency services or law enforcement bodies.

The specific type of information collected by SAAS varies according to the purpose of collection, however, it typically includes individuals’ names, addresses and contact details (or details of their carer/s or family), health information and some banking details. In cases where sensitive information about an individual is collected by a third party, SAAS first requires that the individual’s consent be obtained for the disclosure to, and collection by, SAAS.

How may SAAS use personal information?

SAAS uses personal information it collects for the primary purpose of providing health and associated services to its clients. Other purposes include responding to issues raised by patients, clients, health professionals and government agencies and to assist SAAS to manage its operations. If SAAS is not provided with all the information it requests, it may not be able to provide its services.

SAAS may also disclose personal information to its agents, contractors or service providers (including credit reporting agencies) who act on SAAS’s behalf or who provide goods or services to SAAS (the identity of these agents, contractors and service providers may change from time-to-time).

SAAS will only disclose your personal information to a third party where such disclosure is permitted in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) (Privacy Act) and our privacy policy, including where:

  1. you have expressly or impliedly consented to the disclosure; or
  2. staff disclosing the information believe on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to life or health to you or to some other person; or
  3. the disclosure is authorised by or under law; or
  4. the disclosure is to agents or contractors that provide contracted services to SAAS (subject to privacy obligations); or
  5. the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty or for the protection of the public revenue or for the interests of the government, statutory authority or statutory office holder as an employer.
Before providing us with any details about another individual, you must ensure the individual is aware of:
  1. the proposed disclosure of their information to us and the purpose for which the information is collected and used by us; and
  2. the individual’s ability to request access to the information that we hold about them under the Privacy Act 1988 and to advise us if they think this information is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
SAAS is occasionally required under Commonwealth and state health legislation to collect, store and disclose certain personal information about individuals.

Access and correction

Individuals may seek access to the personal information held about them by SAAS at any time in accordance with the South Australian Freedom of Information Act 1991 (although some requests may be denied in certain circumstances). To assist with enquiries, SAAS requires certain administrative procedures to be followed when requests for access to personal information are made. SAAS will correct any information it considers inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant or out-of-date.

To request access to personal information held by SAAS, request a copy of SAAS’s Privacy Policy Statement, or to enquire generally about privacy matters, please contact our Customer Service Centre.