Compass Immunology Clinic is committed to protecting patient privacy while supporting access to medical information in accordance with Australian privacy legislation.
Your Right to Access Records
Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, patients have the right to request access to certain personal medical records held by Compass Immunology Clinics.
What Records We Can Provide
Where appropriate, we may provide copies of records generated by Compass Immunology Clinics, including:
- Compass specialist correspondence (such as our referral and reply letters)
- Treatment summaries
- Copies of investigation results (e.g. pathology or radiology) held on file, where available
What Records We Do Not Provide
The following are not included in medical record requests:
- Consultation notes, including progress notes or working notes
- Letters or correspondence received from third-party clinicians, including other specialists or external healthcare providers
- Pathology or radiology results that can be obtained directly from the relevant provider
Third-party correspondence is authored by external clinicians and may be subject to their own privacy, consent, or disclosure restrictions. If you require copies of these documents, you will need to request them directly from the originating provider.
How to Request Medical Records
All requests must be made in writing.
To protect patient privacy, we require sufficient information to verify identity. This generally includes at least three points of identification, such as:
- Patient’s full name and date of birth
- Parent or guardian details for minors
- Medicare number and reference
- A current mobile number
- An email address or residential address
We may request additional identification or authority before releasing any records.
Administration Fee
An administration fee may apply to medical record access requests.
This fee reflects the administrative time required to locate archived records, review documentation, and securely prepare records for release.
Where applicable:
- Payment must be made via our secure payment portal before records are provided
- A payment link will be supplied, or payment details are available on our website
Timeframes
- We aim to process valid medical record requests within 10 business days, starting once:
- Your written request has been received
- Payment has been completed
- Identity and authority have been verified
If your request is complex or involves a large volume of records, we will contact you if additional time is required.
Limits on Access
- In some circumstances, access may be limited or refused, including where:
- Releasing the information may pose a serious risk to health or safety
- The information relates to another individual and cannot be reasonably de-identified
- Access is otherwise restricted by law
If access is refused or limited, we will provide an explanation in accordance with legal requirements.
Questions
If you have questions about accessing your medical records, please contact our reception team.