Privacy Policy · Equal Therapy
Privacy.
In plain English.
Health records are sensitive. We treat them that way. This page explains what we collect, why we collect it, who sees it, and what you can do if something’s not right.
Last updated: 14 May 2026
The short version
- We only collect what we need to treat you.
- Records stay in Australia, encrypted at rest.
- We never sell or share your data for marketing.
- You can see your file, get a copy, or correct it.
- If we get it wrong, here’s how to tell us.
The legal bit, kept short.
This privacy policy is published by Equal Therapy Pty Ltd (ABN 38 683 256 402), trading as Equal Therapy. Our head office is at 5 Stud Road, Dandenong VIC 3175.
We follow the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), and the clinical record-keeping standards set by AHPRA, Speech Pathology Australia, the Australian Physiotherapy Association and Occupational Therapy Australia.
If you’re an NDIS participant, we also follow the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s rules on participant information.
The information
we ask for.
Not every category applies to every client. We only collect what’s relevant to the therapy we’re actually doing.
01 · Identity
Contact details
Name, date of birth, address, phone, email. For paediatric clients, the same for the parent or guardian.
02 · Clinical
Intake & assessment
What you tell us at intake, GP referral notes, diagnostic information, assessment results, session notes and therapy plans.
03 · Funding
NDIS / Medicare / DVA
NDIS plan details, participant number, plan manager contact, Medicare card, DVA file number, whatever’s relevant to billing.
04 · Support team
Your circle
GP, support coordinator, school, other allied health providers, so we can coordinate where it helps.
05 · Sessions
Notes & outcomes
Clinical notes from each session, outcome measures, goal progress and any reports we write to your planner or support coordinator.
06 · Website
Form & analytics data
What you submit through our intake or contact forms, plus standard analytics (pages viewed, device type). Detail in the cookies section.
Therapy doesn’t
work without it.
We collect personal information so we can:
- Deliver therapy. Assess, plan, treat, and track progress in OT, Speech and Physio sessions.
- Bill correctly. Invoice the NDIS, your plan manager, Medicare or DVA, or you if you’re self-funded.
- Write reports. Plan reviews, progress reports and recommendations to your planner or support coordinator.
- Coordinate care. Share relevant info with your GP, paediatrician, school or other providers when you’ve asked us to.
- Follow up. Appointment reminders, follow-ups after discharge, and the occasional check-in if equipment is on order.
- Meet our obligations. AHPRA, NDIS Commission and clinical record-keeping standards.
We don’t use your clinical information for marketing. If you’ve subscribed to our newsletter, that’s a separate list and you can leave it any time.
Locked up.
Australian-hosted.
Clinical records sit in encrypted, Australian-hosted practice management software. Backups are encrypted too. Staff access is role-based. Clinicians see their own caseload, admin sees what they need to schedule and invoice, nobody sees everything by default.
We keep clinical records for the period required by the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic): at least seven years from your last appointment, or until a child reaches 25, whichever is later. The period runs from the date of your last entry. After that, records are securely destroyed.
Paper records (like signed consent forms) are kept in locked storage at our Dandenong head office and digitised where practical.
If something
goes wrong.
We take security seriously, but no system is perfect. If a data breach happens and it is likely to cause you serious harm, we follow the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme in Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
That means we contain the breach, assess what happened, and notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as soon as practicable. We tell you what was involved and the steps you can take to protect yourself.
Identifying
yourself.
Due to the nature of the health services we provide, it is generally impracticable for us to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves. Accurate identification is required to ensure the safety and continuity of clinical care, to comply with our legal and professional obligations under applicable health legislation, and to meet the requirements of Medicare and private health insurance billing.
We sometimes collect government identifiers, such as your Medicare number, DVA file number or NDIS participant number. We use these only for billing and claiming through those schemes. We never use a government identifier as our own way of identifying you.
From time to time, we may receive personal or health information that we did not ask for. Where we receive unsolicited personal information, we promptly assess whether it is information we could have collected under our standard practices. If it is not, and the law allows, we destroy or de-identify it.
Telehealth
privacy.
When we see you online, we confirm your identity at the start of each session. We tell you who else is present on our side, and we ask you to do the same.
We only record a session with your written consent. If we do not think telehealth is right for your situation, we say so and offer a home visit, an in-clinic session, or a referral instead.
We use an encrypted video platform. Please join from a private, quiet space where you can talk freely.
My Health
Record.
We do not upload to or view your My Health Record by default. If you ask us to add a report to your My Health Record, or to view it as part of your care, we only do so with your consent and in line with the My Health Records Act 2012 (Cth).
What you can
ask for.
Your information is yours. These rights apply whether you’re a current client, a past client, or someone who’s only contacted us once.
Access
See your file
Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We’ll provide it within 30 days. A small admin fee may apply for large files.
Correction
Fix what’s wrong
Spelling, contact details, factual errors. Tell us and we’ll update the record. Clinical opinions stay as written, but we can note your view alongside.
Withdraw consent
Stop optional sharing
If you’ve given consent for us to share with a third party, you can withdraw it at any time. Mandatory disclosures (NDIS, AHPRA) can’t be withdrawn.
Complain
Tell us if we got it wrong
Full complaint pathway, including how to escalate beyond us, on our feedback page.
Privacy
questions?
We’d rather hear from you directly. Most things we can sort the same day. If you’d rather take it outside Equal Therapy, the OAIC handles federal privacy complaints.
Escalate · OAIC
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Handles complaints about how organisations manage personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Using this website.
Content on this site is general information about our services. It isn’t individual clinical advice. For anything specific to your situation, speak to one of our clinicians or your GP.
What you tell your clinician stays confidential, with some limits set by law. We may need to share information without your consent if there is a serious risk to someone’s safety, if a child may be at risk and we have a mandatory reporting duty, if a court orders it, or if we are required to make a notification under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.
Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law.
These terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. The courts of Victoria, Australia have jurisdiction over any dispute.
We try hard to keep things accurate, but pricing, NDIS rules and service availability can change, so check with our team before relying on anything specific. Pages, layouts and copy are © Equal Therapy Pty Ltd.
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Email [email protected] or call (03) 7500 5696. We can also send information in larger print, plain text email, or arrange an interpreter for appointments.