Privacy policy

1. Overview

Grove Chiropractic ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal and health information when you visit our website (grovechiro.com.au), book an appointment, or become a patient of the practice.

We handle personal and health information in accordance with:

  • The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs); and

  • The Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and its Health Privacy Principles (HPPs).

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Contact details — name, email address, phone number, postal address

  • Booking information — appointment times, practitioner preferences, referral source

  • Health information — details you provide on intake forms, during consultations, or in the course of your care, including your medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment notes, and any information shared by a referring practitioner (with your consent)

  • Newsletter sign-up details — name and email address, if you subscribe via our website

  • Website usage information — pages visited, general location (via IP address), device and browser type, collected through standard website analytics and cookies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide chiropractic assessment, treatment, and ongoing care

  • Manage bookings, reminders, and appointment communications

  • Send you newsletter content, if you've opted in (you can unsubscribe at any time)

  • Communicate with other healthcare providers involved in your care, with your consent

  • Meet our legal, insurance, and professional record-keeping obligations

  • Improve our website and services

We do not use your health information for direct marketing without your consent, and we never sell your personal information.

4. Who We Share Information With

We may disclose your information to:

  • PracticeHub, our booking and practice management platform, to manage appointments and clinical records

  • Other healthcare providers, such as your GP or a specialist, where you've referred us or consented to this communication

  • IT, hosting, and email service providers, who help us run our website and newsletter, and who are bound by confidentiality obligations

  • Regulatory or government bodies, where required by law

  • Some of the platforms we use (for example, cloud-based practice software or email providers) may store data on servers located overseas. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information remains protected consistently with the APPs.

We do not disclose your health information to anyone else without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your clinical records are stored securely within PracticeHub and are only accessible to Grove Chiropractic staff directly involved in your care. We take reasonable technical and administrative steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

6. Access & Correction

You have the right to request access to the health information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if it's inaccurate or out of date. To make a request, contact us at mick@grovechiro.com.au. We'll respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity first. In limited circumstances set out in the APPs and HPPs, access may be restricted.

7. Cookies & Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site and to improve it over time. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though some site features may not work as intended if you do.

8. Children's Privacy

Where we provide care to a minor, we collect and handle that information with the consent of a parent or guardian, in line with our professional obligations.

9. Data Breaches

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

10. Making a Complaint

If you have a concern about how we've handled your personal or health information, please contact us first at mick@grovechiro.com.au so we can address it directly. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with:

  • Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — oaic.gov.au

  • Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria) — hcc.vic.gov.au

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on this page.

12. Contact Us

Grove Chiropractic 2b/83 The Parade, Ocean Grove, Victoria 3226. Email: mick@grovechiro.com.au