PAIA manual

Dr Jan Adlam Inc. provides specialist gynaecology and urogynaecology care. Dr Jan Adlam is the head of the practice and Information Officer. Reception receives requests and refers them to him.

Physical and postal address

Room 311, Library Square, Wilderness Road, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa.

Email

reception@drjanadlam.co.za

Telephone

021 518 3416

Website

drjanadlam.co.za

Fax

The practice does not use fax.

For a concern that you would prefer to discuss privately, ask reception to arrange contact with Dr Adlam. Do not include unnecessary medical details or an ID attachment in your initial enquiry.

PAIA means the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000. POPIA means the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013. The Information Regulator oversees these laws.

The Regulator’s guide to using PAIA explains requests, assistance, fees and remedies. The guide and available language versions can be obtained from the Regulator. You can also ask reception for assistance obtaining a copy.

For help from the Regulator, call 010 023 5200 or use its current contact details. Our POPIA & requests page gives a shorter explanation of patient rights.

Available without a formal PAIA request

Published practice contact details, services, patient education, general fee information, this manual and the privacy notice can be read on the website. Reception can help you obtain those public materials. This does not make individual patient records public.

Records that may require an access request

These categories describe the types of records relevant to the practice. A category is not a promise that a particular record exists or that access will be granted. Requests are assessed against the applicable access rules and the rights of other people.

Some records are maintained or made available under legislation in addition to PAIA. The relevant access and confidentiality conditions still apply.

Health records and professional practice

The National Health Act 61 of 2003, Health Professions Act 56 of 1974 and applicable professional rules concern health records and confidentiality.

Company records

The Companies Act 71 of 2008 governs relevant company records and access rights.

Tax and accounting records

Tax legislation, including the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011, governs relevant financial and supporting records. See SARS record-keeping guidance.

Personal information and access records

POPIA and PAIA govern relevant privacy and access arrangements.

Employment and other business legislation may apply to particular practice records. The Information Officer will identify the relevant route when a request concerns such a record.

Patient and representative details support registration, communication, care and accounts. Clinical information supports assessment, treatment, consent and continuity of care. Supplier, professional and staff information supports practice administration. Website technical and advertising-measurement information helps operate the site and assess advertising results. Privacy-request records help the practice respond and keep an account of its decisions.

Information can come from the person concerned or from authorised representatives and clinicians, hospitals, laboratories or other parties involved in care or administration. The privacy notice explains the website booking form, separate registration link and external services.

Who may receive information?

Relevant information may be handled by practice staff and contracted clinical-record, registration, documentation, hosting, email and accounting providers. It may be shared with treating or referring clinicians, hospitals, laboratories and medical schemes where appropriate, or with authorised advisers and authorities where there is a lawful reason. A person’s relationship to a patient does not automatically entitle them to access.

Where information is processed

The practice keeps and processes its patient records in South Africa, including information held for bookings, registration, clinical care and administration. Website browsing and advertising measurement involve technical information, such as page addresses and advertising identifiers, that services including Google may process outside South Africa. The privacy policy explains these website services. Contact the Information Officer for the arrangements relevant to a particular record.

General safeguards

Access to the practice’s clinical database and email accounts is restricted. Dr Adlam is the only person with access to the website backend. Before a record is released in response to a request, identity, authority and the destination must be checked. The scope of disclosure is considered against the request and the confidentiality of others.

Clinical records, administrative correspondence, temporary uploads and backups need different retention decisions. See retention and protection. No fixed deletion date is promised for all records, and clinical evidence is not removed merely because a website request has been completed.

1. Identify the record and the request. Contact reception for Dr Adlam’s attention. A formal PAIA request uses the Regulator’s PAIA Form 2. Describe the record, the form of access you need and a safe contact method. Explain the right to be exercised or protected and why the record is needed where PAIA requires this.
2. Provide appropriate identity and authority evidence. If acting for another person, explain your authority. Reception can help arrange a suitable way to provide necessary evidence. Ask for assistance if completing a written request is difficult.
3. Receive a decision and any fee information. A formal request is normally decided within 30 days after the required particulars are received, subject to PAIA’s exceptions. A permitted extension, up to a further 30 days, must be explained. Prescribed fees or deposits, where applicable, will be explained before the relevant paid step; asking whether your personal information is held is free.
4. Arrange access or consider the response. Approved records are provided in the agreed lawful manner. If access is refused, the decision must give the applicable reason and available remedies. Where part of a record can be disclosed without protected information, that part should be considered separately.

Formal requests for your own personal information and requests for other records can have different fee treatment. See the current prescribed forms and fees. A routine correction is not automatically a paid PAIA access request: POPIA correction and deletion rights have their own process.

If you disagree with a decision

You may complain to the Information Regulator or use the court remedies available under PAIA, within the applicable time limits. A private practice does not have the PAIA internal-appeal process used for certain public bodies. See the official guide, complaint forms and Regulator contact details.

This manual is available on the practice website and for inspection at the practice during normal business hours. Reception can help with a copy; a permitted reproduction charge may apply to a printed copy. The manual will also be supplied to the Regulator on request.

Dr Adlam is responsible for keeping the manual current when contacts, records or processing arrangements materially change. The version and review date are shown above.