Page 638 - Week 02 - Thursday, 23 March 2023
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MS DAVIDSON: As I have already said in the statement this morning, and as you would have seen in the previous news reports, these breaches of patients’ privacy relating to their records happened a number of times over a period of more than a year. So there would have been multiple emails sent over that period of time. I am not sure whether you are asking for the total number of addresses across all emails or for particular records. All of those details are part of external investigations, and the investigators need to be able to do their work.
Canberra Health Services—data security
MR COCKS: My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, in your statement this morning you stated that you were informed of the privacy breach on 8 February. You outlined in your statement that your first instinct was then to meet personally with the ANMF. Minister, why did you think it appropriate that the first step you should take when advised of a serious and potentially criminal breach was to meet with the organisation allegedly involved?
MS DAVIDSON: Thank you for the question. As I stated this morning, I was first notified a breach had occurred verbally on 8 February. It took some time to audit records and determine the extent and nature of the breach. By 27 February, we had an understanding of how many records were involved and where they had been sent to. On 28 February, I contacted both the CEO of CHS and the branch secretary of the ANMF ACT. I expressed my concerns about the impact this has on patients and on staff who are trying to create a safe workplace with high-quality care. I asked if we could make a time to meet. In doing that, I wanted to particularly better understand what their organisations were doing to comply with their legal obligations and I also wanted to address the distrust issue that this breach has created. There was a period between 8 and 28 February where the breach was being further understood and audited so that we knew exactly what we were dealing with. So it was not my first instinct. It was a decision I made once we knew the extent of what happened.
MR COCKS: Have you in a private or personal capacity had any meeting with any members of the ANMF since you became aware of the breach?
MS DAVIDSON: No, I have not.
MS CASTLEY: Minister, why did it take a response from the union that such a meeting was inappropriate to realise this was an improper course of action?
MS DAVIDSON: I believe that it is entirely appropriate when a breach of this nature has occurred to be asking people how they are going to comply with their legal obligations and cooperate with any external investigations that might be ongoing. Within hours of making that request to the CEO of CHS and the ACT branch of the ANMF, I received a reply from the CEO of CHS suggesting potential times for a meeting and assuring me they are complying with all of their legal obligations. On 1 March I received a letter from lawyers engaged by the ANMF declining that request.
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