POPIA & your information

POPIA is South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act. Dr Jan Adlam Inc. is responsible for the information it processes for your care and administration. Dr Jan Adlam is the practice’s Information Officer. Reception is the contact point and forwards privacy requests to him. Address a sensitive concern to Dr Adlam; you can call reception to arrange a private discussion.

Our privacy policy explains booking enquiries, clinical systems and website services. The Information Regulator’s POPIA guidance explains the wider framework.

These rights have conditions and exceptions. The POPIA Act and official forms and regulations give further detail.

1. Tell reception what you need. Give your name, a safe way to contact you, and whether you want access, a correction, a transfer or help with a concern. Describe the relevant record or date range if you can.
2. Allow for an identity check. Before records are released, your identity and any representative’s authority need to be checked. Ask how to provide supporting documents securely; do not attach an identity document to your first message unnecessarily.
3. Agree the next steps. Reception can clarify the records involved, any relevant form or fee, and how the response will reach you. We will acknowledge your request and explain the next steps. A formal PAIA access request is normally decided within 30 days of receiving the required particulars, subject to the Act’s exceptions. If a permitted extension is needed, we will explain why. Corrections and other POPIA requests are dealt with as soon as reasonably practicable under the applicable rules.

Access requests and PAIA

PAIA, the Promotion of Access to Information Act, provides a process for access to records. Ask reception which process applies to your request. The Regulator’s PAIA guidance and forms explain formal access requests and any prescribed fees.

PAIA Form 2 requests access to a record. POPIA Form 2 requests correction or deletion. They are different forms. This page explains the contact process. Our PAIA manual describes the records and formal access arrangements in more detail.

Tell reception which clinician or practice should receive the records, how they can be contacted, and which records are needed. Your identity, authority to request the transfer and the destination need to be verified before confidential information is sent.

If you are requesting records for someone else, explain your relationship and authority to act. Being a partner or family member does not by itself give access. Requests involving a child or a person who cannot act for themselves need particular care and the appropriate legal authority.

Contact reception@drjanadlam.co.za if information appears incorrect, has gone to the wrong person or may have been accessed without permission. Include enough detail to locate the problem without forwarding other people’s sensitive information unnecessarily.