Privacy Policy.

1. Our commitment to your privacy.

High Ground Healthcare Pty Ltd (ABN 14 695 476 861) is an online health platform dedicated to providing accessible and patient-centred healthcare. We recognise the importance of protecting your privacy and are committed to handling it with the utmost care.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our website, platform, and services. We are legally bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and relevant state and territory health records legislation.

By using our services or providing your personal information, you consent to your information being handled as outlined in this policy.

2. What information we collect.

We collect personal information necessary to provide our services safely and effectively:

• Personal information — name, date of birth, contact details (address, email, phone number), Medicare information, and GP contact details.
• Sensitive health information — current and past medical history, illnesses, symptoms, test results, medications (including medicinal cannabis treatment details), allergies, and other health information you provide or that we consider necessary for your care.
• Technical and usage data — IP address, device ID, and information about your interaction with the platform.

3. How we collect your information.

We collect personal information fairly and lawfully when you:

• Register an account on the platform.
• Complete online forms, questionnaires, or surveys.
• Attend a telehealth consultation with a healthcare practitioner.
• Correspond with us via email, telephone, or the platform.
• Are referred to us by another healthcare provider, or through information we receive from third parties such as pathology services or My Health Record (with your consent).

If you choose not to provide personal information, we may not be able to provide our services.

4. Why we use your information.

We collect, hold, use, and disclose personal information for the primary purpose of providing and managing healthcare services:

• Providing clinical care — to facilitate telehealth consultations, connect you with healthcare practitioners, maintain health records, and manage treatment plans.
• Communication — to send appointment reminders, follow up on care, provide information, and respond to enquiries.
• Administrative purposes — to process payments, verify identity, and manage your account.
• Regulatory compliance — to comply with legal obligations, including TGA requirements for prescribing medicinal cannabis and mandatory health record retention.
• Service improvement — to conduct de-identified research and analysis to improve our services, platform, and patient outcomes.
• Direct marketing — to send information about services or health topics that may interest you. You can opt out at any time.

5. Disclosure of your information.

We disclose personal information only for the purposes outlined above or where required by law. This may include sharing with:

• Healthcare practitioners providing your care via the platform.
• Dispensing pharmacies you choose to fulfil your prescriptions.
• Your nominated GP or other specialists, with your consent.
• Third-party service providers (IT, cloud storage, payment processors) who adhere to strict privacy and security standards.
• Government and regulatory bodies as required by law.
• Overseas service providers — you consent to your information being handled and stored overseas. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any overseas recipient handles your information consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

6. Data security and retention.

We take robust measures to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access. These include technical security (encryption, firewalls, multi-factor authentication) and strict access controls.

Health information is retained for the minimum periods required by law. Once it is no longer needed or required, we securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

Schedule 8 sensitive health information. We afford heightened protection to Schedule 8 prescription data (including medicinal cannabis treatment records) and mental health history. This information is collected only to the extent necessary for clinical care, accessible only to authorised clinical staff, and not disclosed to third parties without explicit consent except where required by law. Clinical records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last entry (or, for patients who were minors, until they turn 25), in accordance with applicable state and territory requirements.

7. Your rights.

You have the right to:

• Request access — to the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction — if information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date.

To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and may require identity verification.

8. How to make a complaint.

If you have concerns or wish to make a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, contact our Privacy Officer. We will investigate and provide a timely response.

Privacy Officer email: contact@highgroundclinic.com
Address: Level 19, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.

If unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) or the relevant state-based health complaints commissioner (e.g., the Office of the Health Ombudsman in Queensland).

9. Changes to this policy.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this website. Your continued use of our services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.