LIBERAL Democrats Member for Northern Victoria Tim Quilty says he has “rung the alarm bell” about legislation that he claims will allow the private medical information of Victorians to be shared without their consent.
The Health Information Sharing Bill was due to go before the Upper House this week and will allow a single point of access to medical notes provided to doctors or psychiatrists over the past five years without requiring any patients’ consent or notification.
Mr Quilty said “the government appears to be using the cover of the federal election to sneak through this legislation that breaches the long-held doctrine of patient-doctor confidentiality that is part of the Hippocratic Oath”.
He said the decisions doctors make will also be up for scrutiny by other doctors.
“The word ‘sharing’ is usually associated with nice things and that’s why the government is using it in its title – the Health Information Sharing Bill. But in this case, sharing is anything but caring,” Mr Quilty said.
“This legislation is an outrageous breach of privacy.
“The government cannot be trusted to keep your details safe, but the bigger issue is that they are taking away the consent of Victorians.
Personal details about your mental state, your birth control, your fertility, your abortions, any disabilities, will be put in one handy place where it can be shared with anyone who can access the program.”
Mr Quilty presented a petition to parliament opposing the Bill and is making a last ditch bid to amend the legislation so there is an opt-in scheme.
“It is hard to think of any information anyone might have that is more private than our medical information – so this must surely be one of the greatest infringements on the privacy of Victorians in our history,” Mr Quilty said.
