This Privacy Policy does not cover personal information collected or held by Cell Care about its employees.
Background
Cell Care is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients. We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the "Privacy Act') as well as other State/Territory privacy legislation applying to our operations.
'Personal information' means information we hold about you from which your identity is either clear or can be reasonably determined. When you give us your personal information, it imposes a serious responsibility on us. Protecting your privacy when handling your personal information is very important to us and is fundamental to the way we serve you.
Special provisions apply to the collection of personal information which is sensitive information. This includes health information (which is itself defined in the Privacy Act) and information about a person's race, ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of political, professional or trade associations, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual preferences and criminal history.
In this Privacy Policy, all references to personal information include sensitive information unless indicated otherwise.
Collection of personal information by Cell Care
In the course of our business, Cell Care may collect personal information about you that is necessary for one or more of our functions or activities.
Cell Care will collect personal information only by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive manner.
The types of personal information we may collect and hold may vary depending on the nature of our interaction with you and may include:
- identifying and contact information (such as name, address, telephone phone number and email address);
- health information (such as information about your expected due date, health condition and medical history, and cord blood, cord tissue and maternal blood samples); and
- other sensitive information (such as in relation to racial/ethnic origin, sexual preferences and practices and criminal history).
Cell Care may collect personal information about:
- mothers and fathers (including biological and non-biological) and their babies in the course of providing cord blood and/or cord tissue collection and banking services to them;
- healthcare professionals such as the names of general practitioners, midwives and obstetricians who are responsible for the care of our clients and who may refer clients to us;
- third parties providing a service to Cell Care; and
- contractors of Cell Care.
Cell Care may collect your personal information in a number of ways including through online and hardcopy forms, medical questionnaires, telephone calls, entries into competitions and correspondence (written and verbal).
If you are a client, Cell Care typically collects your personal information directly from you. However, Cell Care may collect your personal information from other persons such as your treating general practitioner or obstetrician (such as through referrals). Depending on the circumstances, Cell Care may also collect personal information about the biological father of an unborn child from the mother.
If you are a healthcare professional, Cell Care typically collects your personal information directly from you or from your patient.
Purposes for which Cell Care collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information
The Privacy Act generally requires Cell Care to use personal information only for the primary purpose for which it is collected, or for secondary purposes which are related (or directly related in the case of sensitive information) to the primary purpose and within your reasonable expectations.
In general, Cell Care collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information for the following purposes:
- to provide you, or your patient, with cord blood and related collection and banking services;
- to invoice and process any fees payable in relation to the cord blood and related collection and banking services rendered;
- to manage our relationship with you (including if you are a client, healthcare professional, service provider or contractor) and to contact you for follow up purposes;
- to engage in marketing activities and run competitions;
- to verify and update personal information held by us;
- to review, develop and improve our products and services;
- to comply with legal or regulatory obligations; and
- for purposes required or permitted by or under law, including for purposes for which you have provided us with your express or implied consent.
Our range of products and services and our functions and activities may change from time to time. If you provide your email address, telephone and/or mobile phone number, you also consent to Cell Care using your email address, telephone and/or mobile phone number to contact you (including by telephone call, SMS or email) for any of the above purposes.
Disclosure of personal information
In order to carry out the above purposes, Cell Care may disclose your personal information to:
- treating healthcare professionals and hospitals;
- persons or organisations engaged by Cell Care to assist Cell Care in carrying out the above purposes such as IT support providers and professional advisors;
- regulatory authorities; and
- parties involved in a prospective or actual transfer of our assets or business.
What happens if you don't provide Cell Care with your personal information?
If you do not provide personal information requested of you to Cell Care, we may be unable to provide you with the products and services you request of us.
Direct Marketing
From time to time we may use the personal information we collect from you to identify particular Cell Care or related business products, services or information which we believe may be of interest to you. We may then contact you to let you know about these products, services or information.
Every directly addressed marketing contact sent or made electronically by Cell Care will include a means by which you may unsubscribe (or opt out) of receiving further marketing information.
Additionally, you may instruct us at any time that you do not wish to receive marketing communications from us. Requests should be directed to the Cell Care Compliance Officer via the channels provided below.
If you request not to receive marketing communications from us, please note that we will still contact you in relation to our ongoing relationship with you. For example, if you are a client, we will still send you bills and notices that are relevant to the cord blood and related collection and banking services you have requested us to perform.
Accessing and correcting your personal information
You have the right to request access to, and seek to correct, the personal information we hold about you. These rights are subject to certain exceptions allowed by law. Requests to access or correct your personal information should be directed to the Cell Care Compliance Officer via the channels provided below.
Cell Care will, upon your request, and subject to applicable laws, provide you with access to your personal information and will take reasonable steps to amend any personal information about you which is inaccurate or out of date. Cell Care will deal with your request in a reasonable time. If, in accordance with the Privacy Act, Cell Care does not permit you access to your personal information or refuses to correct your personal information, Cell Care will provide you reasons for this decision.
Information security
Cell Care is committed to keeping your trust by protecting and securing your personal information.
Cell Care collects your personal information as encrypted electronic data and stores this information on servers located in Australia with high level security and access only available by password.
We employ appropriate technical, administrative and physical procedures to protect personal information from unauthorised disclosure, loss, misuse or alteration.
We limit access to personal information to individuals with a business need consistent with the reason the information was provided.
Cell Care protects your personal information by complying with Information Security Standards, Industry Schemes and Statutory obligations. We regularly conduct targeted internal and external audits on our security systems to validate the currency of our security practices.
How Cell Care handles complaints
If you have any concerns or complaints about the manner in which your personal information has been collected or handled by Cell Care, please advise us of your concern or complaint in writing and send it to the Cell Care Compliance Officer via the channels provided below. Your concern or complaint will be considered or investigated and we will endeavour to respond to your complaint within 28 days.
It is our intention to use our best endeavours to resolve any complaint to your satisfaction. However, if you are unhappy with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner who may investigate your complaint further.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
Cell Care may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this website or you may obtain a copy of the latest version of this Privacy Policy by contacting the Cell Care Compliance Officer via the channels provided below.
How to contact us
Please contact us if you have any queries about the personal information Cell Care holds about you or the way we handle this information. Our contact details for privacy queries are set out below:
Compliance Officer
Address: 42 Corporate Drive, Heatherton VIC 3202 Australia
Telephone: 1800 071 075
Facsimile: 03 9551 2933
Email: info@cellcare.com.au