ACEM will only disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, for a secondary purpose if it directly relates to the primary purpose or for any other lawful purpose.
5.1 Third party disclosure
ACEM does engage third parties to perform certain business functions. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to disclose personal information to those suppliers. In general, ACEM may disclose personal information to the following persons and organisations:
- ACEM’s consultants, auditors, lawyers, contractors and contracted staff or service providers that provide goods or administrative, membership or other services in connection with the activities of ACEM
- entities and institutions that provide services or undertake activities in conjunction with or in association with ACEM
- regulatory authorities and bodies, professional or specialist societies and associations, hospitals and health centres and relevant complaints tribunals and government departments and agencies
- where ACEM collects an individual’s information from someone else, or another entity, then that person or entity
- where the law requires or permits ACEM to do so (such as to law enforcement agencies), and
- an individual’s agent (with an individual’s authority).
Information supplied in such circumstances is disclosed to suppliers for the contracted purpose. Failure by the third party to act in accordance with this policy and other contractual and legal obligations may result in termination of the relationship with ACEM.
All specific requests for information from a third party (including a specialty society) must be documented.
College website and publications
ACEM uses sound and image recordings (including photographs) in the production of educational and promotional material for ACEM purposes. Such material may be published, either in electronic media (including our website) or in hard copy publications. ACEM officers may also take image recordings of attendees at ACEM events, which may be published on the ACEM website or other media with your consent (express or implied).
5.2 Specialist Assessment
ACEM is involved in the assessment of international medical graduates’ emergency medicine training, qualifications and experience, and therefore provides its decisions and recommendations arising from these assessments to the Australian Medical Council, the Medical Board of Australia and/or the Medical Council of New Zealand.
Without limiting the scope of the authorised uses, ACEM may need to clarify information provided to it for this purpose with external institutions or individuals, and gather additional information in order to complete the assessment. ACEM may also disclose personal information where required to do so by law.
5.3 Members and trainees
Without limiting the generality of section 4, personal information about members and trainees is used to conduct ACEM business, including for the purposes of training and assessment and for continuing professional development.
Information may, without limitation, be shared and used by all ACEM staff, officers and officeholders, supervisors of training, committees and subcommittees connected with ACEM’s activities or functions where access to such information is warranted, as determined by ACEM.
Where ACEM collects information about membership of other professional associations, this information will not be disclosed without consent.
Public enquiries regarding member information
ACEM can respond to requests for the name and practice address of a member, with confirmation that he or she is a Fellow, member or trainee of ACEM. Except where required or authorised by law, any other information will not be provided without the individual’s permission.
Members of the public include spouses, family members and colleagues.
Enquiries regarding CPD status
ACEM can respond to requests from a prospective or current employer or their agents regarding the participation of an individual member in ACEM’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program.
Enquiries regarding trainee status
ACEM can respond to an enquiry from a medical registration authority or from a prospective or current employer or their agents regarding the participation of an individual trainee in ACEM’s training programs. The enquirer may be advised:
- the training program(s) in which the trainee is registered and, if the FACEM Training Program, whether they are a Provisional or Advanced trainee
- whether the trainee is currently actively participating in the applicable training program.
Requests for information regarding staff
Personal information related to staff members may not be divulged unless consent is received from the staff member concerned or disclosure is authorised or required by law. The staff member’s Executive Director has access to his or her personnel file.
Without limitation, a staff member can authorise the Human Resources Officer to release information pertaining to their employment in relation to enquiries from credit agencies, real estate agents and banks. Human Resources may release information on staff to the appropriate statutory authority (e.g. the Australian Taxation Office).
All staff have access to their own personnel files.
Prohibited uses
ACEM does not sell or rent the personal information it has collected to organisations such as telemarketers, pharmaceutical companies or medical equipment companies. ACEM will not accept requests to market products or to advertise training courses directly to members and trainees and will therefore not disclose contact information to organisations requesting its use for these purposes.
5.4 Overseas recipients
ACEM is a corporate entity which is registered and operates in both Australia and New Zealand. As of necessity, personal information may be collected, used and disclosed between those countries in respect of members, trainees and applicants for assessment of international qualifications.
Personal information may also be disclosed to recipients in overseas countries other than New Zealand, in appropriate circumstances, especially in relation to the assessment of an international medical graduate’s training, qualifications and experience or those undertaking a period of training overseas. Should this be necessary, the individual will be asked to complete a form consenting to ACEM disclosing information to the overseas recipient, and to the overseas recipient providing the requested personal information to ACEM.