HEALTH RECORDS ACT 2001

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

• 1 Purpose  
• 2 Commencement  
• 3 Definitions  
• 4 Interpretative provisions  
• 5 When does an organisation hold health information?  
• 6 Objects of Act  
• 7 Relationship of this Act to other laws  
• 8 Nature of rights created by this Act  
• 9 Act binds the Crown  

PART 2--APPLICATION OF THIS ACT

Division 1--Public sector organisations

• 10 Application to public sector  

Division 2--Private sector organisations

• 11 Application to private sector  
• 12 Effect of outsourcing  

Division 3--Exemptions

• 13 Personal, family or household affairs  
• 14 Courts, tribunals, etc.  
• 14A Royal Commissions etc.  
• 14B Information sharing under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008  
• 14C Information sharing under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005  
• 14D Information sharing for quality and safety purposes under the Health Services Act 1988  
• 14E Information sharing under Division 6 of Part 4A of the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003  
• 14F Health information collected or held by the Electronic Patient Health Information Sharing System  
• 15 Publicly available health information  
• 16 Freedom of Information Act 1982  
• 17 News media  

PART 3--PRIVACY OF HEALTH INFORMATION

• 18 What is an interference with privacy?  
• 19 Health Privacy Principles  
• 20 Application of HPPs  
• 21 Organisation to comply with HPPs  

PART 4--GUIDELINES

• 22 Health Complaints Commissioner may issue, approve or vary guidelines  
• 23 Revocation of issue or approval  
• 24 Disallowance by Governor in Council  

PART 5--ACCESS TO HEALTH INFORMATION

Division 1--Right of access

• 25 Right of access  
• 26 No access to health information where threat to life or health of individual or another person[2]  
• 27 No access to health information where information given in confidence[3]  
• 28 How right of access may be exercised  
• 29 Providing access  
• 30 Individual may authorise another person to be given access  
• 31 Organisation may require evidence of identity or authority  
• 32 Fees  

Division 2--Request for access

• 33 Request for access  
• 34 Response to request  
• 35 Refusal of access  

Division 3--Refusal of access on ground of threat to life or health of the individual requesting access

• 36 Application  
• 37 Offer to discuss health information  
• 38 Individual may nominate health service provider to assess ground for refusal etc.  
• 39 Organisation may object to nomination  
• 40 Lapsing of nomination  
• 41 Organisation must give health information to nominee  
• 42 Functions of nominated health service provider  

Division 4--Miscellaneous

• 43 Alternative arrangements may be made  
• 44 Provision of health services and keeping of health information—terms and conditions  

PART 6--COMPLAINTS

Division 1--Making a complaint

• 45 Complaints  
• 46 Complaint referred to Health Complaints Commissioner  
• 47 Complaints by children and people with an impairment  

Division 2--Procedure after a complaint is made

• 48 Health Complaints Commissioner must notify respondent  
• 49 Preliminary assessment of complaint  
• 50 Splitting complaints  
• 51 Circumstances in which Health Complaints Commissioner may decline to entertain complaint  
• 52 Referral to registration board  
• 53 Health Complaints Commissioner may dismiss stale complaint  
• 54 Minister may refer a complaint direct to Tribunal  
• 55 Complaint about registered health practitioner  
• 56 What happens if a complaint is accepted?  
• 57 What happens if conciliation or ruling is inappropriate?  
• 58 Duty to stop proceedings  

Division 3--Conciliation of complaints

• 59 Conciliation process  
• 60 Power to obtain information and documents  
• 61 Conciliation agreements  
• 62 Conciliation statements, acts and documents inadmissible  
• 63 What happens if conciliation fails?  

Division 4--Investigation, rulings and compliance notices

• 64 Investigation and ruling  
• 65 Referral to Tribunal  
• 66 Compliance notice  
• 67 Power to obtain information and documents  
• 68 Conduct of investigation etc.  
• 69 Power to examine witnesses  
• 70 Protection against self-incrimination  
• 71 Offence not to comply with compliance notice  
• 72 Application for review—compliance notice  

Division 5--Interim orders

• 73 Tribunal may make interim orders before hearing  

Division 6--Jurisdiction of the Tribunal

• 74 When may the Tribunal hear a complaint?  
• 75 Who are the parties to a proceeding?  
• 76 Time limits for certain complaints  
• 77 Inspection of exempt documents by Tribunal  
• 78 What may the Tribunal decide?  

PART 7--OFFENCES

• 79 Definition  
• 80 Unlawfully requiring consent etc.  
• 81 Unlawful destruction etc. or removal of health information  
• 82 Unlawfully requesting or obtaining access to health information  
• 83 Persons not to be persuaded not to exercise rights under Act  
• 84 Failure to attend etc. before Health Complaints Commissioner  

PART 8--GENERAL

• 85 Capacity to consent or make a request or exercise right of access  
• 86 Protection from liability  
• 87 Functions of Health Complaints Commissioner  
• 88 Powers  
• 89 Health Complaints Commissioner to have regard to certain matters  
• 90 Secrecy  
• 91 Delegation  
• 92 Employees and agents  
• 93 Offences by organisations or bodies  
• 94 Prosecutions  
• 95 Deceased individuals  
• 96 Legal professional privilege and client legal privilege not affected by this Act[6]  
• 97 Defect or invalidity—protection if person acts in good faith etc.  
• 98 Unqualified organisation may obtain and act on expert advice  
• 99 Supreme Court—limitation of jurisdiction  
• 100 Regulations  
• SCHEDULE 1
ENDNOTES