Email & Internet Usage Policy

Email usage

Emails sent or received on the email system form part of the official records of Tatiara Medical Centre; they are not private property. Tatiara Medical Centre does not recognise any right of employees to impose restrictions on disclosure of emails within the business. Emails may be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, as part of legal proceedings (e.g. tribunals), and as part of disciplinary proceedings. Users are responsible for all actions relating to their email account/computer username and should therefore make every effort to ensure no other person has access to their account.

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When using Company email, users must:

• Ensure they do not disrupt the Tatiara Medical Centre’s wider IT systems or cause an increase for significant resource demand in storage, capacity, speed or system performance e.g. by sending large attachment to a large number of internal recipients.
• Ensure they do not harm the businesses reputation, bring it into disrepute, incur liability on the part of Tatiara Medical Centre or adversely impact on its image.
• Not seek to gain access to restricted areas of the network or other “hacking activities” is strictly forbidden
• Must not use email for the creation, retention or distribution of disruptive or offensive messages, images, materials or software that include offensive or abusive comments about ethnicity or nationality, gender, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, appearance, religious beliefs and practices, political beliefs or social background. Employees who receive emails with this content from other employees of the business should report the matter to the Practice Manager.
• Not send email messages that might reasonably be considered by recipients to be bullying, harassing, abusive, malicious, discriminatory, defamatory, and libellous or contain illegal or offensive material, or foul language.
• Not upload, download, use, retain, distribute, or disseminate any images, text, materials, or software which might reasonably be considered indecent, obscene, pornographic, or illegal.
• Not engage in any activity that is likely to:

1. Corrupt or destroy other users’ data or disrupt the work of other users. 
2. Waste staff effort or business resources, or engage in activities that serve to deny service to other users.
3.  Be outside of the scope of normal work-related duties – for example, unauthorised selling/advertising of goods and services.
4.  Affect or have the potential to affect the performance of damage or overload Tatiara Medical Centres system, network, and/or external communications in any way.
5. Be a breach of copyright or license provision with respect to both programs and data, including intellectual property rights.
6. not send chain letters or joke emails from a Company account.

Staff who receive improper email from individuals inside or outside of Tatiara Medical Centre, should discuss the matter in the first instance with their line manager or supervisor.

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Personal use of Tatiara Medical Centre email is not permitted.

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Communication with patients via electronic means (e.g. email) is conducted with appropriate regard to the privacy and confidentiality of the patient's health information. 

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Our practice uses the attached 'Privacy Disclaimer' on outgoing emails that are affiliated with the practice.

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Emails and internet usage will be monitored by the Practice Manager including discretion to blacklist certain sites such as personal email or social media sites.

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All staff have signed a computer use agreement as a condition of their employment.