Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone will press for a meeting with Health Minister Greg Hunt to discuss how to resolve any ambiguity over the privacy aspects of the My Health Record, promising to do “whatever it takes” including asking for the legislation to be amended if needs be.
The promise comes as opposition leader Bill Shorten calls for the expansion of the opt-out system to be paused, despite the relevant section of the legislation being exactly the same in the original PCEHR Act passed when Labor was in power in 2012 as it appears today.
Dr Bartone told the National Press Club in Canberra today that he had sought and received written assurances from Mr Hunt and Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) CEO Tim Kelsey that police and other law enforcement bodies cannot access the system or patient records without a court order or judicial oversight.
