Page 434 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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MS DAVIDSON: There are policies and procedures both around how we deal with the access to and storage of information, and what happens when a breach occurs. When a breach occurs, it is very important that we go through the proper processes to fully understand the extent of that breach and the nature of it, and to make sure that patient disclosure happens in the appropriate ways. I can provide you with those details, if you wish, on notice—to go through what all of those procedures are. I have been assured by CHS that they are following all of those policies and procedures and protecting patient privacy—ongoing.
Ms Lee: We’ll take it on notice.
MR COCKS: How long, precisely, have these privacy breaches been occurring?
MS DAVIDSON: I am sure that Mr Cocks has read this morning’s news report which did state that it has been something that has happened over a long period of time—I think “years” was what was quoted in the news. I cannot talk in any more detail about the details of what happened while there is a police investigation underway.
Canberra Health Services—data security
MS CASTLEY: My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, I refer to the serious breaches of privacy within CHS reported today. The email quoted states:
Records have been sent … to multiple people within one of our industrial partners.
Records that should never have been shared outside the organisation, without the express consent of our patients.
Minister, who was the industrial partner involved?
MS DAVIDSON: As I was saying earlier, there is currently a police investigation underway. There are laws relating to how we look after patient records. It is very important that those are adhered to at all times, whether that is by CHS staff or by industrial partners. I am not able to talk about who exactly that was at the moment but, as I said to the ABC this morning, it was not a health fund.
MS CASTLEY: Minister, for what purpose has the industrial partner used the records that were sent to them by CHS?
MS DAVIDSON: That is a detail that would come under the police investigation that is ongoing, and I cannot talk about the detail of that.
Mr Hanson: Point of order.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Mr Hanson.
Mr Hanson: If there are matters that the Minister is refusing to answer because of the investigation, can I ask that she take those matters on notice so that, when we are able to find out, they can be provided.
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