Speak Out December 2019 V2 DIGITAL EDITION

in practice

Thanks Rebecca- that looks good. Could we add a “s” to Tas and could we say something like

“Register here for the ACT course-registration for other courses will open soon”

How long do I need to retain my client health records? Ask SPA?

Speech Pathology Australia recently updated information about retention periods for health records. The Privacy Act 1988 does not stipulate retention periods for health records but it does indicate that a holder of personal information (and health information) such as a speech pathologist must destroy or de-identify the information if it is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected and is not required to retain it under any other law. How long a health service provider should retain a health record also depends on the existence of State or Territory laws and in some cases where legislation does not exist on individual government bodies or specific organisation policies and guidelines. Some states and territories, including ACT, NSW and Victoria

have laws that provide benchmarks of when records may be destroyed. Some states, including WA, Qld and Tasmania, have laws around retention of public records and some states, including SA and NT, have no legislated retention rates. As a private provider, it is important to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations in your location and understand the considerations that guide decision making in states and territories that do not have legislated retention periods. This information can be found in SPA’s FAQ Health records -retention requirements on the Professional Resources section of the SPA website. Also remember disposal of medical records should be completed securely and confidentially and a log should be maintained of records that have been disposed of which includes the client’s name, date of birth and date of disposal.

Save the date: Professional practice seminars In 2020, SPA will run professional practice seminars all around Australia. These events will be a little different to the private practice seminars held over the past few years; they will be held over two days and content will be applicable for members working in all contexts. The final program outlining some very exciting speakers will be ready for members in December. In the interim please save the date if you would like to attend in the locations below. Please contact Nichola Harris, Manager Professional Practice with any questions: nharris@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Canberra ACT 14 - 15 February Launceston TAS S 13 - 14 March Adelaide SA 27 - 28 March Melbourne VIC 21 - 22 August Perth WA 11 - 12 September Sydney NSW 16 - 17 October

Professional practice seminars

Speech Pathology Australia will offer two-day seminars in 2020 for practising speech pathologists who own a private practice, as well as employees and contractors across all workplace sectors. 2020

How to register Register here for ACT seminar

Registration for other seminars will open soon. Or go to www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au > what’s on > events

Nichola Harris Manager Professional Practice

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December 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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