POPIA Notice & Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 2026

Dr. Gerhard Niemann’s Psychological, Pastoral & Organisational Practice is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal and clinical information is collected and used properly, lawfully, and transparently in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Act No. 4 of 2013.

1. Information We Collect
We collect and process personal information mainly to contact you, understand your healthcare or consulting needs, and deliver the appropriate services. This information may include:
• Your name, contact details, and email address (via our website booking form).
• Sensitive data required for clinical intake, medical aid processing, or legal assessments (collected during formal consultation, not stored on this website).

2. How We Use Your Information
Your personal information will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected. This includes:
• Scheduling and confirming your appointments.
• Processing medical aid claims using required ICD-10 diagnostic codes.
• Responding to website, email, or WhatsApp inquiries.
• Fulfilling legal, statutory, or forensic reporting obligations.

3. Disclosure of Information
We will never sell or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We may only disclose your personal data if:
• You have given explicit, written consent (e.g., sharing a report with a doctor or legal team).
• We are required to do so by law, court order, or statutory bodies (such as the HPCSA).
• There is a severe, immediate threat to your life or the safety of others.

4. Data Security
We take all reasonable, industry-standard technical and organizational measures to secure the integrity and confidentiality of your personal information, preventing loss, damage, or unauthorized access.

5. Your Rights
In terms of POPIA, you have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, object to the processing of your data, or request that we update, correct, or delete your information (subject to HPCSA statutory records retention limits).

6. Contact Our Information Officer
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact our designated Information Officer directly:
Information Officer: Dr. Gerhard Niemann
Email: info@pastoralpsychology.co.za
HPCSA No: PMT 0091596

POPIA Compliance Notice (South Africa)

We collect and process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and the ethical rules of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). This includes:

Personal data: identifiers and contact details (e.g., name, email, phone).
Clinical data: information you choose to share for assessment, counselling, treatment planning and continuity of care.
Billing data: invoices, medical‑aid details and claim information (HPCSA: PMT 0091596; Practice No: 0596973).

Lawful purposes: booking and delivering services (consent; performance of a service), issuing invoices and assisting with medical‑aid claims (legal obligation; consent), acting to prevent serious harm in line with HPCSA guidance (vital interests), and secure practice administration (legitimate interests).

Security & retention: reasonable administrative, physical and technical safeguards; access controls; secure transmission and storage; minimum necessary retention per HPCSA rules and South African law. We do not sell your data. Limited sharing may occur with treating clinicians (with consent or where legally/ethically required), medical aids at your request, and trusted service providers under confidentiality. Cross‑border processing via cloud services may occur with appropriate safeguards.

Your rights: request access, correction or deletion (where legally permissible), object to certain processing, or withdraw consent. To exercise rights or raise concerns, contact info@pastoralpsychology.co.za or call +27 82 050 9071. You may also contact the Information Regulator (South Africa).

Who we are & contact

Practice of Dr. Gerhard Niemann. Phone: +27 82 050 9071; Email: info@pastoralpsychology.co.za. Sessions: Viljoenskroon practice, Zoom (nationwide), bedside referrals at Mooimed & Netcare Vaalpark.

Personal information we may process

Identification & contact: name, email, phone.
Clinical & counselling: information you share in sessions and forms (only as needed for care).
Administrative: appointment history, invoices, medical aid details for claims.
Correspondence: emails and messages related to your care.

Why we use your information (POPIA lawful bases)

Care & services: to book appointments, provide clinical or pastoral care, and follow up (consent; performance of a service).
Billing & claims: to issue invoices and assist with medical aid claims (legal obligation; consent).
Safety & ethics: to act where serious risk is identified, consistent with HPCSA guidelines (vital interests; legal/ethical duties).
Operations: secure practice administration and quality assurance (legitimate interests).

Sharing & disclosure

We do not sell your data. Information may be shared with: (a) referring clinicians or hospitals with your consent or where legally/ethically required; (b) medical aids to process claims on your request; (c) trusted service providers (email, hosting) under confidentiality. International transfers may occur due to cloud services; we take reasonable safeguards.

Retention & security

Records are kept for periods required by HPCSA rules and South African law. We use reasonable administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect information, and only retain what is necessary for the purposes described above.

Your rights (POPIA)

You may request access, correction or deletion of your personal information (where legally permissible), object to certain processing, or withdraw consent. To exercise your rights, contact us using the details above. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

Website & cookies

This site may use essential cookies for security and performance. Analytics or third‑party tools are only used if enabled for legitimate purposes and, where required, with notice or consent. You can contact us for details about current use on this site.

Updates

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page. Continued use of our services after updates indicates acceptance of the revised policy.