Media Release: National consistency needed in health privacy law, says Privacy Commissioner8 March 2007 The Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, has called for the Privacy Act to ‘cover the field' in regulating health service providers in the private sector. "At present, private sector health service providers can have privacy obligations under both State and Federal laws, which can create significant confusion for consumers and the providers themselves," said Ms Curtis. "Consumers can be confused about where they should go to resolve issues about the handling of their health information. Providers can be uncertain about their obligations and the privacy standards they have to meet. "The Privacy Act has generally met individuals' expectations regarding the handling of their health information, so I am recommending that it, to the exclusion of other privacy laws, be applied to all private sector health service providers, regardless of size or locality. "This would create optimal privacy protection for people's health information and help to clarify health service provider obligations." The Privacy Commissioner notes that State and Territory public sector health service providers will still be covered by relevant State or Territory privacy legislation. The recommendation was made as part of Ms Curtis' 474-page submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission's Review of Privacy, in addition to proposals relating to areas such as technology and telecommunications. Other health-related proposals in the submission include:
For further information see www.privacy.gov.au/publications/alrc280207.html For media comment, contact 0407 663 968 |