Privacy

The scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how the Cancer Institute NSW manages its privacy responsibilities.

The Cancer Institute NSW is NSW's cancer control agency, established under the Cancer Institute NSW (2003) Act to lessen the impact of cancer across the State.  We work across the health care system to promote better:

  • cancer prevention
  • early detection 
  • diagnosis, treatment and care.

We collect and use the latest cancer data, information and evidence to drive improvements in cancer outcomes. We are the largest funder in NSW of cancer research, with a focus on the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

We offer a number of programs and services, including cancer screening (e.g. mammograms), cancer prevention services (e.g. helping people to quit smoking), and cancer information and research services (e.g. maintaining clinical registries of incidences of cancer in the people of NSW).

Some of our programs and services have their own websites, and their own privacy policies specific to that program or service.  For information about how privacy is managed in any of the following programs, please see the linked website for the program you are interested in:

All other activities of the Cancer Institute NSW are covered by this Privacy Policy.

Our privacy responsibilities

In everything we do, the Cancer Institute NSW must comply with the NSW Privacy Principles:

We have an obligation to implement the privacy principles established by the PPIP Act and HRIP Act in our work practices, in the course of collecting, managing, using, disclosing, and securing personal and health information.

The Cancer Institute NSW is also governed by the policies of NSW Health, and its Privacy Management Plan.

You can also access the Cancer Institute’s Privacy Management Annual Report (PDF), produced in accordance with Ministry of Health annual reporting requirements regarding privacy matters.

Collection, use and disclosure

Together, the NSW Privacy Principles regulate the collection, storage, use and disclosure of personal information (information that is capable of identifying you as an individual) and health information (personal information that is about your health or health services provided to you).

When we collect personal information or health information about you directly, we will explain to you why we are collecting it, and what we will use it for.

In accordance with the Privacy Principles, the Cancer Institute NSW can only use or disclose your personal information or health information:

  • for the purpose for which we collected it, or
  • for a directly related purpose, or
  • if you consent to another purpose, or
  • in emergencies, or
  • as otherwise required or authorised by law.

Data security, data quality, access and correction

The NSW Privacy Principles also oblige the Cancer Institute NSW to protect the security and quality of the personal information and health information we hold.  Personal information and health information are kept in safe custody, sufficient to prevent unauthorised access, and is properly handled to ensure its safety, integrity and confidentiality.

We also have responsibilities to enable you to seek access to the personal information or health information we hold about you, and to request corrections or updates where they are needed. 

To request data about you that might be held in a clinical dataset, such as a cancer registry or cancer screening database, click here for more information.

For all other enquiries about seeking access or requesting a correction to the personal information or health information we hold about you, please contact our Privacy Officer (details below).

Your privacy when you use a Cancer Institute website

This section explains how your privacy is protected as you access and interact with the Cancer Institute NSW website.

Links to other websites, external to the Cancer Institute NSW, are sometimes included in web pages for the convenience of website users, but the Cancer Institute NSW does not have any responsibility for the privacy practices of third-party websites linked to the Cancer Institute NSW website.

Personal information we collect through our websites

The personal information we collect via websites may include:

  • the content of any applications or electronic forms you submit to request services we provide or information (for instance, to receive an e-newsletter), or to take actions (such as submit grant requests) or enter competitions held by the Cancer Institute NSW,
  • the information submitted if you participate in an online survey or post comments on a forum, or
  • any messages or comments you submit to us via a form on this website or to email addresses displayed on this website, which may include personal information such as name, email address and telephone number.

We may hold information such as email addresses with third party suppliers, who are bound by the same Privacy Principles. These will only be used to facilitate Cancer Institute NSW communications such as an e-newsletter or email contact as you have requested.

Email addresses provided to this website will not be added to mailing lists or disclosed to any other party without the user’s consent, unless the Cancer Institute NSW is required to disclose that information by law.

Other information we collect about your site visit

So that we can improve our website and ensure we are delivering appropriate services to the people of NSW, the Cancer Institute NSW is interested in patterns of usage of our website pages.  To discover these patterns, we use de-identified, aggregated information about site visits.

When you look at pages on this website, our computers automatically record information that identifies, for each page accessed:

  • the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the machine which has accessed it
  • your top-level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk, etc.), the address of your server
  • the date and time of your visit to the site
  • the pages accessed and documents downloaded
  • the name of the file or the words you searched
  • your name and other registration details (if applicable)
  • the previous site visited
  • the type of browser and operating system you used to access our site.

This information is solely used to evaluate and improve our services.

Google Analytics

Cancer Institute NSW websites use Google Analytics, a service which transmits website traffic data to Google servers in the United States.

We use reports provided by Google Analytics to help us understand website traffic and web page usage. This allows us to target content more efficiently to visits originating in NSW. It helps us provide the cancer related information and resources that the people of NSW are searching for to improve cancer health, research and treatment outcomes.

The type of information collected includes:

  • the geographical area visits originate from (based on the IP address used to access the internet)
  • how visits are referred to our site
  • pages frequently visited
  • time spent on pages
  • actions carried out (i.e. watch a video, download an information sheet).

For more information about Google Analytics see www.google.com.au/policies/privacy. You can opt out of Google Analytics if you disable or refuse the cookie, disable JavaScript, or use the opt-out service provided by Google. This may have some impacts on the functionality of our site.

Cookies

We may also use cookies and visitor logs to improve your experience when accessing our website. Cookies are small text files that download to your computer when you visit a website; most major websites use them. They enable the site to identify your device and preferences. You can disable cookies in your internet browser, but this may impact on the functionality of the site.

The Cancer Institute NSW makes no attempt to associate cookies with users' names or identities. Our server cannot find out your name or email address, or anything about your computer, by using cookies.

The cookies, visitor logs, analytics and other reporting tools used on the site are not matched with any data collected with any personal information about you.

Google AdWords Remarketing

Some Cancer Institute NSW sites (primarily BreastScreen and iCanQuit) use the Google AdWords Remarketing service which advertises across the internet to previous visitors to our website.

Google AdWords Remarketing displays relevant advertising content based on which sections of the Cancer Institute NSW website you have visited. This is done by placing a cookie on your machine (see more information about cookies above). It will not identify you in any way. Google AdWords’ Remarketing allow us to tailor any promotion and marketing content, so it is relevant and suits your needs. For example, we may promote a quit smoking campaign or promote content related to a cancer screening program.

Any data collected as part of our use of Google Adwords Remarketing will be in accordance with the Cancer Institute NSW’s privacy responsibilities and Google’s privacy policy.

If you do not wish to be a part of Google AdWords Remarketing, you can opt out by visiting Google Ads Preference Manager at https://www.google.com/settings/ads then go to the “opt-out settings” where you can opt out of all interest-based ads on Google and across the web.

Facebook pixel

Facebook pixel is used on the Cancer Institute NSW website and some of our other sites (primarily BreastScreen and iCanQuit) to collect analytics and target Facebook promotions if you are a Facebook user.

You can find the Facebook privacy policy here: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy

If you are a Facebook user you can control how Facebook uses information to personalise ads and opt out here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/settings.

You can opt out of many third-party tracking and related advertising cookies (including Facebook and Google) that could be used on your web browser here: http://optout.aboutads.info

Social networking services

We use social networking services such as Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and YouTube to communicate with the public about our work. Comments posted on these services are open to the public.

We will not ever require or recommend that you post your contact details anywhere on a social networking service that is able to be viewed by the public. The social networking service will also handle your personal information for its own purposes. These sites have their own privacy policies. They also have guidelines for appropriate use when posting information.

Privacy complaints

If you believe the Cancer Institute NSW has contravened an Information Protection Principle or Health Privacy Principle, you may wish to request that a review be conducted by the Cancer Institute NSW. For further information:

  • Contact the Privacy Officer for the Cancer Institute NSW (see below), or
  • Contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW by telephone on 1800 472 679 or go to the IPC website.

Contact our Privacy Officer

If you:

  • have a general privacy enquiry
  • wish to seek access to the personal information or health information we hold about you
  • believe the personal information or health information we hold about you needs correcting or updating, or
  • have a privacy complaint regarding the Cancer Institute NSW, please contact:

The Privacy Officer

Cancer Institute NSW
Locked Bag 2030, St Leonards NSW 1590

Tel: (02) 8374 5600

Email: CINSW-Privacy@health.nsw.gov.au

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