MALLEE residents must be allowed to opt out of having their private health records automatically shared on a central database, says The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad.
Ms Broad said people should have freedom of choice on whether their health information was automatically accessible to all public health professionals.
The Greens forced the Victorian Government to bolster privacy protections in the contentious Health Legislation Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill, which was now expected to pass in the Upper House.
“While we all want to help our frontline health workers as much as possible, this Bill has some flaws which need to be ironed out,” Ms Broad said.
The amendments would create a privacy management framework that would protect the identity of patients who might be at risk of harm, such as domestic violence survivors.
Patients would also be able to obtain information on who has accessed their files and a process would be put in place to safeguard sensitive health information. The Greens also secured an independent review to ensure the system was managing privacy concerns appropriately.
Greens MP Tim Read said the changes struck a balance between improving privacy concerns and the need for the public health system to “function as effectively as possible”.
The Bill was expected to pass with the support of several crossbenchers, including Animal Justice Party’s Georgie Purcell.
Ms Broad said the plan could have “major implications” for victims of crimes such as domestic violence, or people with highly sensitive health information such as mental health issues or family planning, where privacy was “vitally important”.
“The Nationals are asking that the Bill be amended to give people the choice as to whether they want their information included on this new database,” she told Parliament.
“I have been contacted by people who have very real concerns that the lack of an opt-out option will put vulnerable people at risk.”
Northern Victoria One Nation MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell said she didn’t believe the government could offer the level of security required to manage “such sensitive information with any real confidence”.
“I would like to ensure our youngest generations are not exposed to the potential data leaks of their most sensitive information, most of which is likely to pertain to personal issues that are yet to even be diagnosed,” she told parliament.
“My concern for the plethora of potential violations that could be perpetuated with this information is very real as our society steamrolls unchecked towards a digital dysphoria.
“The invasive and inhumane practice of forcing people to entrust this government with their most sensitive information on nothing more than their word that it will be secure is woefully inadequate.”
Swan Hill District Health declined to comment.
