Website Terms and Conditions of Use
Operator: Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology Pty Ltd (ACN 651 805 739, ABN 30 651 805 739), trading as Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology.
These Terms govern your use of the Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology website. They apply to every visitor. They are written to comply with Australian law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Queensland) Act 2009, the AHPRA Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, the Medical Board of Australia's Good medical practice code, and the Australian Consumer Law.
If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the website.
1. About these Terms
1.1 Operator
This website at scgastro.com.au (Website) is owned and operated by Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology Pty Ltd (ACN 651 805 739, ABN 30 651 805 739) trading as Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology (we, us, our or the Practice), a specialist gastroenterology and hepatology practice with rooms at Suite 1, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, 3 Doherty Street, Birtinya QLD 4575.
1.2 Application of these Terms
These Terms govern your access to and use of the Website. By accessing, browsing or using the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.
1.3 Other documents that apply
The following documents also apply to your use of the Website and are incorporated into these Terms by reference:
(a) our Privacy Policy, which sets out how we handle personal information (including health information); (b) our Website Disclaimer, which sets out the limits of the information published on the Website; and (c) the Practice Conduct Annexure to these Terms (Annexure A), which sets out the practical rules that apply when you become a patient of the Practice.
If there is an inconsistency between these Terms and any of the documents in (a) to (c), the Privacy Policy prevails for matters relating to personal information, the Disclaimer prevails for matters relating to the accuracy and use of clinical information, the Practice Conduct Annexure prevails for matters relating to attendance at the Practice, and otherwise these Terms prevail.
1.4 Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The version published on the Website at the date you access it is the version that applies. We display the date of the last revision at the top of this document. We review these Terms at least annually.
1.5 Definitions
In these Terms:
AHPRA means the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
APP means an Australian Privacy Principle in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Content means all material published on or made available through the Website, including text, images, audio, video, code, design elements, logos, downloads and links.
National Law means the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Queensland) Act 2009 and the corresponding laws in force in other Australian states and territories.
Privacy Act means the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
You and your refer to the person accessing or using the Website.
2. Nature of the Website and information published
2.1 General information only
The Website provides general information about the Practice, our doctors, the procedures we perform and the conditions we treat. The Content is published for general informational purposes only.
2.2 The Website is not medical advice
Nothing on the Website constitutes medical, clinical or health advice. The Content is not a substitute for consultation with an appropriately qualified health practitioner. Do not rely on the Content to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any condition. Always seek the advice of your treating doctor or another qualified health practitioner regarding any medical condition or before starting, stopping or changing any treatment.
2.3 No practitioner-patient relationship
Accessing the Website does not create a practitioner-patient relationship between you and any doctor associated with the Practice. A practitioner-patient relationship is established only when you are formally accepted as a patient of one of our doctors and the doctor commences clinical care.
2.4 Emergencies
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000 immediately or attend your nearest hospital emergency department. Do not use the Website, an online form, email, fax or social media to seek urgent medical assistance — these channels are not monitored continuously and we cannot guarantee a timely response.
2.5 Information currency
We take reasonable care to ensure information on the Website is accurate when published. Medical knowledge changes and information may become out of date. We do not warrant that the Content is current, complete or free from error.
3. Eligibility and intended audience
3.1 Australian audience
The Website is intended for use by people in Australia. We make no representation that the Content is appropriate, available or compliant with the laws of any other jurisdiction.
3.2 Adults
The Website is intended for adults (18 years and over). If you are under 18, you should access the Website only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.
3.3 Health professionals
Some sections of the Website are intended for medical practitioners and other health professionals (for example, our referral pages and the Sunshine Coast Gut Club education materials). Where Content is intended for health professionals, it is identified as such.
4. Acceptable use
4.1 Permitted use
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and view the Content for your personal, non-commercial, informational use only.
4.2 You must not
You agree that you will not:
(a) use the Website in any manner that is unlawful, infringes the rights of any person, or is fraudulent or harmful; (b) reproduce, republish, modify, distribute, transmit, display, sell, license or commercially exploit the Content, or any part of it, without our prior written consent (except as permitted by Australian copyright law for personal or fair-dealing use); (c) use any robot, spider, scraper, crawler or other automated means to access the Website or extract Content, except for legitimate search-engine indexing; (d) interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which it is hosted, or any related systems; (e) introduce any virus, worm, malware or other harmful code to the Website; (f) impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity; (g) collect or harvest information about other users; or (h) frame, mirror or "deep-link" to the Website in a manner that misrepresents its source or origin.
4.3 User-submitted content
If you submit information to us through the Website (for example, an enquiry form or feedback), you confirm that:
(a) the information is true and accurate; (b) you have the right to submit it; and (c) submitting it does not breach any law or any other person's rights.
You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use the information you submit for the purposes of responding to you, providing services to you, and improving our services. We will handle personal information you submit in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
4.4 We prefer no clinical information through website forms
Referrals should be sent by Medical Objects, HealthLink, secure email, fax or post.
5. Intellectual property
5.1 Ownership
All Content on the Website is owned by the Practice or used by the Practice under licence. All copyright, trade marks, trade names, patents, designs and other intellectual property rights in the Content are reserved.
5.2 Trade marks
"Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology", the SCG logo, and any other names, logos, marks or icons we use are trade marks of the Practice or its licensors. You may not use them without our prior written consent.
5.3 Third-party material
The Website includes material licensed from third parties — for example, patient-information factsheets published by the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA), Cancer Council Australia, Bowel Cancer Australia, and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. That material is owned by the relevant third party and used by us with permission or in reliance on the third party's general permissions for re-use. Your use of that material is also subject to the third party's terms.
5.4 Permitted uses by you
Notwithstanding clause 5.1, you may:
(a) view the Content on screen; (b) print one copy of any page for personal, non-commercial use; (c) save Content for personal, non-commercial use, provided you do not modify it; and (d) share a link to a page of the Website with attribution to the Practice.
6. Third-party links and external content
6.1 Hyperlinks
The Website contains hyperlinks to websites operated by third parties (for example, GESA, Cancer Council Australia, the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, hospital and health-fund websites). These are provided for your convenience.
6.2 No endorsement
A link from the Website to a third-party website does not constitute our endorsement of that website, its operator, or the products, services or information it provides.
6.3 Not responsible
We do not control and are not responsible for the content, accuracy, currency, privacy practices, security, or terms of use of any third-party website. Your use of a third-party website is at your own risk and subject to that website's own terms.
7. Linking to the Website
You may link to the homepage of the Website without our prior consent, provided the link:
(a) does not suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement by the Practice that does not exist; (b) does not present the Practice or our services in a false, misleading, derogatory or offensive manner; and (c) does not frame the Website or use techniques that obscure the source of the Website.
We reserve the right to require you to remove any link to the Website at any time.
8. Health practitioner registration and advertising compliance
8.1 Registered practitioners
The doctors associated with the Practice are registered medical practitioners with specialist registration in gastroenterology and hepatology, as applicable. Registration details for each practitioner can be verified at ahpra.gov.au on the Register of Practitioners.
8.2 Advertising
Information published on the Website about regulated health services is provided in accordance with section 133 of the National Law and the AHPRA Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service. If you believe any Content does not comply with those requirements, please contact us at admin@scgastro.com.au.
8.3 No testimonials
We do not invite, publish or display patient testimonials about clinical aspects of our services. Patient comments about clinical aspects of regulated health services are prohibited under section 133 of the National Law.
8.4 Outcomes vary
Any reference on the Website to clinical outcomes, procedures or experiences is general in nature. Individual outcomes depend on a wide range of factors including a patient's age, medical history, anatomy, the nature and stage of the condition, comorbidities and adherence to clinical advice. Outcomes may vary from those described.
8.5 Use of titles
Our doctors are specialist physicians registered in gastroenterology and hepatology. Gastroenterologists are not surgeons. The endoscopic procedures we perform are not "surgery" in the sense of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law s.115A, and we do not use the title "surgeon" in connection with our doctors.
9. Disclaimers and warranties
9.1 Australian Consumer Law
Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, condition, warranty, right or remedy that you may have under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) or any other law that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified.
9.2 No warranties beyond those that cannot be excluded
Subject to clause 9.1, and to the maximum extent permitted by law:
(a) the Website and the Content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis; (b) we do not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, free from harmful code, or available at all times; and (c) we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency, reliability, suitability or fitness for any particular purpose of the Content.
9.3 Your responsibility
You are responsible for taking your own precautions to ensure that anything you select or obtain from the Website is free of harmful code and otherwise suitable for your use.
10. Limitation of liability
10.1 Australian Consumer Law
Clause 9.1 applies to this clause 10.
10.2 Limitation
Subject to clause 9.1, and to the maximum extent permitted by law:
(a) we are not liable for any indirect, special, incidental, consequential or exemplary loss or damage, or any loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of goodwill, loss of data or loss of opportunity arising out of or in connection with your access to or use of the Website, the Content, or these Terms; and (b) where our liability cannot lawfully be excluded but can be limited, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Website, the Content, or these Terms is limited, at our option, to the resupply of the relevant Content or the cost of having the Content resupplied.
10.3 No exclusion of clinical liability
For the avoidance of doubt, the limitation in clause 10.2 applies to your use of the Website and the Content and does not exclude, limit or modify any liability that we or any of our doctors may have to you arising from the provision of clinical care to you as a patient. The clinical care of patients is governed by separate professional, ethical and legal obligations.
11. Indemnity
You indemnify us against any loss, damage, cost or expense (including reasonable legal costs) we suffer or incur to the extent caused by:
(a) your breach of these Terms; (b) your unlawful or negligent use of the Website; or (c) any infringement by you of the rights of any third party.
This indemnity does not apply to the extent that loss is caused or contributed to by our negligence, wilful default, or breach of these Terms.
12. Suspension and termination
We may, at any time and without notice:
(a) modify, suspend or discontinue all or any part of the Website; (b) restrict or terminate your access to the Website if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms or any applicable law; or (c) remove or modify any Content.
We are not liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, discontinuation, restriction or termination of the Website.
13. Privacy
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available on the Website. The Privacy Policy describes both how we handle personal information collected through the Website and how we handle personal information (including health information) in the course of providing clinical care.
14. Complaints and feedback
If you have a complaint or feedback about the Website or its Content, please contact us:
Email: admin@scgastro.com.au
Phone: 07 5228 0221
Post: Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology Pty Ltd, Suite 1, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, 3 Doherty Street, Birtinya QLD 4575
For complaints about clinical care, see the complaints process in our Privacy Policy (which addresses the Office of the Health Ombudsman Queensland at oho.qld.gov.au or 133 646, and AHPRA at ahpra.gov.au or 1300 419 495).
For privacy complaints, see our Privacy Policy (which addresses the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au/complaints or 1300 363 992). We do not take adverse action against patients who complain.
15. General
15.1 Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. The parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and the federal courts of Australia for the purpose of any proceedings arising out of these Terms.
15.2 Severance
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the provision is to be read down to the minimum extent necessary, or severed if it cannot be read down, and the remainder of these Terms continues in full force and effect.
15.3 No waiver
Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of that provision or any other provision.
15.4 Entire agreement
These Terms (together with the documents referred to in clause 1.3) constitute the entire agreement between you and us in respect of your use of the Website.
15.5 No assignment
You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms.
15.6 Force majeure
We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance under these Terms to the extent caused by an event beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, war, terrorism, pandemic, government action, fire, flood, internet outages, or third-party service-provider failures.
16. Contact
Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology Pty Ltd (ACN 651 805 739, ABN 30 651 805 739) trading as Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology
Suite 1, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital 3 Doherty Street, Birtinya QLD 4575
Email (administrative and privacy): admin@scgastro.com.au Email (bookings): bookings@scgastro.com.au Phone: 07 5228 0221 Fax: 07 5228 0218
Annexure A — Practice Conduct
This Annexure forms part of the Terms and applies to you when you attend the Practice as a patient or visitor.
A.1 Referrals
A current, valid referral is required to claim a Medicare rebate for a specialist consultation. We can see you without a referral, but you will be charged the full consultation fee with no Medicare rebate.
A referral from a general practitioner is generally valid for 12 months from the date of your first consultation under that referral.
A referral from another specialist is generally valid for 3 months.
A.2 Fees and informed financial consent
In accordance with the Australian Medical Association Informed Financial Consent guide:
(a) Our doctors do not bulk-bill consultations. Consultation fees vary depending on the complexity and length of the consultation.
(b) For privately insured patients, no gap applies to the majority of routine endoscopic procedures. A small gap may apply for procedures that are significantly longer or more complex than standard. You will receive a written estimate before any procedure is booked.
(c) For uninsured patients, the total out-of-pocket cost is significant. We will provide a written estimate before booking.
(d) Anaesthetists and pathology providers are independent businesses with their own fees. They participate in 'no gap' arrangements with most major health funds. Confirm directly with your fund.
(e) Indicative quotes are available on request: call 07 5228 0221 or email bookings@scgastro.com.au.
A.3 Deposits, cancellations and non-attendance
(a) A deposit of the entire estimated cost is required at the time of booking a procedure for self-funded patients. The deposit is credited toward your account.
(b) Consultations — cancellations with more than 24 hours notice are free of charge. Cancellations with less notice, or non-attendance, may attract a fee of $80.
(c) Procedures — cancellations with more than 5 business days notice receive a full deposit refund. Cancellations with shorter notice, or non-attendance, may result in deposit forfeiture and may attract additional cancellation fees from the facility and anaesthetist.
(d) Late arrival — please arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, the appointment may be treated as a non-attendance.
(e) Repeat non-attendance — repeat short-notice cancellations or non-attendances may result in future appointments requiring pre-payment.
We understand genuine emergencies happen. Please call as soon as possible if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from attending — we will use our discretion compassionately.
A.4 After your procedure — sedation rules
Endoscopic procedures are performed under conscious sedation administered by an anaesthetist. After sedation:
A responsible adult must collect you and stay with you for at least 24 hours.
You must not drive, operate machinery, sign legal documents, or consume alcohol for 24 hours.
A copy of your procedure report will be sent to your referring practitioner.
If you do not have a responsible adult to collect you, the procedure cannot proceed.
A.5 Communication between appointments
For non-urgent clinical questions, please wait for your follow-up appointment, send a message via your referring GP, or call reception during business hours. We are not able to provide clinical advice — including new prescriptions, medication changes, or interpretations of test results — by telephone or email outside a consultation.
For urgent clinical concerns outside our hours, call your GP, contact 13HEALTH (Queensland) on 13 43 25 84 or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. For emergencies call 000 or attend an emergency department.
A.6 Lost prescriptions and pathology forms
A fee of $50 applies for re-issue of lost prescriptions or pathology forms outside a consultation. This fee is not eligible for a Medicare rebate.
A.7 Test results
If you have not heard from us about an expected result within [INSERT — e.g. 14 days], please call to follow up. We do not assume "no news is good news."
A.8 Behaviour at the Practice
We expect respect — both ways. We have a zero-tolerance policy for behaviour that is:
aggressive, threatening or intimidating;
abusive (including racial, sexual or homophobic abuse);
discriminatory;
physically violent; or
otherwise unacceptable to a reasonable person.
Behaviour of this nature may result in our refusing to continue the call, asking you to leave the premises, terminating our care of you and (where appropriate) involving police. We will give you written notice of any decision to terminate care and assist you to find alternative care.
A.9 Family, carers and interpreters
You are welcome to have a family member, friend or carer present at your consultation, with your consent. For interpreter assistance, please tell us when you book — we can arrange the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) at no cost to you for many languages.
A.10 Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights
We support the rights set out in the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights (2nd edition) published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. A copy is available at reception.
Approved on 16 May 2026, Vikas Gupta, Director, for and on behalf of Sunshine Coast Gastroenterology Pty Ltd.
Read these Terms together with our Privacy Policy and Disclaimer.