Privacy policy
Essential Anaesthetic Services handles your personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). This policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, how it's protected, and how to access or correct it.
1. Who we are
Essential Anaesthetic Services is a group of specialist anaesthetists providing anaesthetic services in Bendigo and Central Victoria. Our contact details are at the end of this policy.
2. What we collect
To provide your anaesthetic care and manage your account, we collect:
- Identity and contact details — name, date of birth, address, phone, email.
- Health information — your medical history, medications, allergies, previous anaesthetics, and the details of your procedure, collected through the booking form and by your anaesthetist.
- Claiming details — Medicare number, health fund membership, DVA, WorkCover or TAC claim details, and pension or concession status, where applicable.
We collect this information directly from you wherever practicable — through the booking form, by phone or in person — and sometimes from your surgeon's rooms, the hospital, or your other treating practitioners as part of arranging your care.
3. Why we collect it
- To plan and provide your anaesthetic safely.
- To prepare your informed financial consent and manage your account.
- To submit claims to Medicare, your health fund, DVA, WorkCover or TAC.
- To communicate with you about your procedure and account.
- To meet our legal, professional and insurance obligations.
We do not use your information for marketing, and we do not sell it to anyone.
4. Who we share it with
Only as needed for your care and your account:
- Your surgeon, the hospital or day surgery, and other practitioners involved in your care.
- Medicare, your health fund, DVA, WorkCover or TAC, for claiming.
- Our billing and practice-management service providers, who are bound by confidentiality obligations.
- Our professional advisers and insurers, where required.
- Anyone else only with your consent, or where the law requires or permits it.
We store your information within Australia and do not routinely disclose it overseas.
5. How we protect it
Your information is held in secure, access-controlled systems, with access limited to the clinical and administrative staff who need it to do their jobs. Paper records, where they exist, are stored securely. We retain health records for the periods required by law, and destroy or de-identify information securely when it is no longer required.
6. Accessing or correcting your information
You may request access to the information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, by contacting us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time — usually within 30 days. In limited circumstances the law allows us to refuse access; if that applies, we will tell you why in writing.
7. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, contact us first — we take it seriously and will respond promptly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au, 1300 363 992) or the Health Complaints Commissioner Victoria (hcc.vic.gov.au).
8. Our website
Our website collects limited technical information (such as analytics data) to understand how the site is used. Forms on this site are submitted over an encrypted connection. Please use the booking form, rather than email or the contact form, for detailed health information.
9. Contact us about privacy
Privacy Officer, Essential Anaesthetic Services
97 Forest St, Bendigo VIC 3550
(03) 8595 5350 · Team@essentialas.com.au
Last updated: June 2026