Vara Clinic Pty Ltd

ABN 27 696 411 195

Effective Date: 16th October 2026

Last Updated: 16th October 2026

1.         INTRODUCTION

1.1      Vara Clinic Pty Ltd (ACN 696 411 195) ("Vara Clinic", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information, including sensitive health information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act"), the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs"), and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) ("Health Records Act") and its Health Privacy Principles ("HPPs").

1.2      This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information, and how you can access, correct, or make a complaint about the way we handle your information.

1.3      By engaging our services, using our website, or providing us with your personal information, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2.         ABOUT US

2.1      Vara Clinic is an allied health practice operating in Victoria, Australia. We provide psychological and allied health services to individuals, including via telehealth.

2.2      Our Privacy Officer and Practice Manager is:

Brooke Seebohm

Director and Practice Manager

Vara Clinic Pty Ltd

Email: admin@varaclinic.com.au

3.         WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT

3.1      We collect personal information that is necessary to provide you with allied health services. The types of information we may collect include:

(a)       Personal details: full name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and email address;

(b)       Health information: medical history, presenting concerns, diagnoses, treatment records, clinical notes, referral letters, and correspondence with other health practitioners;

(c)       Medicare and health fund details: Medicare number, private health insurance details, and DVA or NDIS information where applicable;

(d)       Emergency contact information: name and contact details of a nominated emergency contact or next of kin;

(e)       Payment information: billing details and records of payments made for services; and

(f)         Communication records: correspondence between you and Vara Clinic, including emails and messages.

3.2      Where you are a minor or a person for whom a guardian or authorised representative acts, we may collect information about that representative in addition to information about you.

4.         HOW WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION

4.1      We collect personal information directly from you wherever practicable, including:

(a)       when you register as a patient or complete an intake form;

(b)       during consultations, assessments, or treatment sessions (in person or via telehealth);

(c)       when you contact us by telephone, email, or through our booking system; and

(d)       when you provide information through our website or patient portal.

4.2      We may also collect information from third parties with your consent, including:

(a)       referring general practitioners or other health practitioners;

(b)       specialists, hospitals, or other treating providers;

(c)       Medicare, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, or the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA); and

(d)       your private health insurer.

4.3      Where we collect information about you from a third party, we will take reasonable steps to notify you of that collection unless it is impracticable or unreasonable to do so.

5.         HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

5.1      We use your personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, which is to provide you with allied health services. This includes:

(a)       assessing, diagnosing, and treating your health condition;

(b)       communicating with you about your appointments, treatment, and care;

(c)       processing payments and managing billing;

(d)       coordinating your care with other health practitioners involved in your treatment; and

(e)       complying with our legal and professional obligations.

5.2      We may also use your information for secondary purposes that are directly related to the primary purpose, where you would reasonably expect us to do so, or where you have provided your consent.

5.3      We will not use your personal information for direct marketing without your express consent.

6.         DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

6.1      We will only disclose your personal information to third parties with your consent, except where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

6.2      With your consent, we may disclose your information to:

(a)       your referring or treating general practitioner, via Healthlink (our preferred secure messaging platform) or by email using two-factor authentication through Google Workspace;

(b)       other treating health practitioners, specialists, or allied health providers involved in your care;

(c)       Medicare, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, or the NDIA for the purposes of processing claims or funding;

(d)       your private health insurer for the purposes of processing claims; and

(e)       other third parties as agreed with you at the time of collection or subsequently.

6.3      We may disclose your information without your consent where:

(a)       we are required to do so by law (for example, mandatory reporting obligations under applicable legislation);

(b)       disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of any person; or

(c)       disclosure is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act or the Health Records Act.

6.4      We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

7.         STORAGE AND SECURITY OF YOUR INFORMATION

7.1      Your personal information, including health records, is stored electronically in Halaxy, a secure, cloud-based practice management platform. Halaxy employs industry-standard security measures including encryption, access controls, and secure data storage.

7.2      We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include:

(a)       restricting access to personal information to authorised staff and practitioners only;

(b)       using secure communication channels for the transmission of health information, including Healthlink for referral correspondence; and

(c)       maintaining physical and electronic security measures for all records.

7.3      Where personal information is no longer required for the purpose for which it was collected, and we are not required by law to retain it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

8.         RETENTION OF RECORDS

8.1      We retain health records in accordance with the minimum retention periods prescribed under Victorian law, including the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and any applicable professional registration standards.

8.2      For adult patients, health records are generally retained for a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of the last entry, or until the patient turns 25 years of age (whichever is later) for records created when the patient was a minor.

8.3      Retention periods may be extended where required by law, professional obligations, or ongoing clinical need.

9.         ACCESS TO YOUR INFORMATION

9.1      You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, including your health records.

9.2      To request access to your records, please submit your request in writing by emailing admin@varaclinic.com.au. Please include your full name, date of birth, and a description of the information you are seeking.

9.3      We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, having regard to clinician availability and clinic operating hours. We will acknowledge receipt of your request and advise you of the expected timeframe for providing access.

9.4      In some circumstances, we may be required or permitted by law to refuse access to certain information, or to provide access in a modified form. If we refuse or limit access, we will provide you with written reasons.

9.5      We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the administrative costs of providing access to your records. We will advise you of any applicable fee before processing your request.

10.      CORRECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION

10.1   If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or misleading, you may request that we correct it.

10.2   To request a correction, please submit your request in writing by emailing admin@varaclinic.com.au. Please include your full name, date of birth, the information you believe is incorrect, and the correction you are seeking.

10.3   We will consider your request and, if we agree that the information requires correction, we will take reasonable steps to correct it within a reasonable timeframe.

10.4   If we do not agree that the information requires correction, we will notify you in writing of our reasons and advise you of the steps you may take if you are not satisfied with our response.

11.      PRIVACY COMPLAINTS

11.1   If you have a concern or complaint about the way we have handled your personal information, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance so that we can attempt to resolve the matter.

11.2   To make a privacy complaint, please contact us in writing by emailing admin@varaclinic.com.au. Please include your full name, contact details, and a description of your concern or complaint.

11.3   Upon receipt of your complaint, we will:

(a)       acknowledge receipt of your complaint by email;

(b)       investigate the matter thoroughly and in good faith; and

(c)       provide you with a written outcome of our investigation within a reasonable timeframe.

11.4   If you are not satisfied with our response, or if we fail to respond within a reasonable time, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

GPO Box 5218

Sydney NSW 2001

Telephone: 1300 363 992

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

11.5   For complaints relating to health information under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), you may also contact the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC):

Health Complaints Commissioner

Level 26, 570 Bourke Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Telephone: 1300 582 113

Website: www.hcc.vic.gov.au

12.      WEBSITE AND ONLINE SERVICES

12.1   When you visit our website or use our online booking system, we may collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This information is used for the purposes of administering and improving our website and services.

12.2   Our website may use cookies to enhance your experience. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, however this may affect the functionality of certain features.

12.3   Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

13.      TELEHEALTH SERVICES

13.1   Where we provide services via telehealth, we take reasonable steps to ensure that consultations are conducted in a secure and private manner.

13.2   You are responsible for ensuring that your own environment is private and secure during telehealth consultations.

13.3   Telehealth consultations are not recorded without your express consent.

14.      CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

14.1   We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or technology. The current version of this Privacy Policy will always be available from our practice.

14.2   We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued engagement with our services following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

15.      CONTACT US

15.1   For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact:

Brooke Seebohm

Practice Manager and Director

Vara Clinic Pty Ltd

Email: admin@varaclinic.com.au

This Privacy Policy is effective as at the date set out above and supersedes all previous privacy policies issued by Vara Clinic Pty Ltd.