We collect medical information about all our patients and store their personal health information securely.
Health records may include:
Every time you visit one of our health facilities, we make sure your personal details are up-to-date. If you’re not a current inpatient or outpatient and still need to update your information, you can talk to the admissions team at the facility you visited.
Records are the property of Metro South Health, but you have the right to request information held in your medical record.
When requesting access to your health information, you'll need to provide a certified copy of your identity documents, such as:
If you don’t have any of the listed documents, talk to our health service about other accepted evidence of identity documents.
If we can't process your application, we'll refer it for processing under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) and contact you.
Learn more about amending or accessing your health record on the Queensland Health website.
Your healthcare professional or GP can see your records using the online Health Provider Portal.
They can see records like:
You might be able to access your health records if you have a My Health Record on the digitalhealth.gov.au website.
To access someone else's health records, such as a family member, you'll need their written permission. This must be an original document, and they'll need to sign and date it.
If you're acting on behalf of someone else, such as a patient's lawyer, you may need to give evidence of your identity. You'll also need to show authorisation to act on their behalf.
If you have a document such as an Enduring Power of Attorney that allows you to act on someone's behalf, you'll need this when applying.
If you don’t have permission or authorisation to act on someone's behalf, you must request it under the Right to Information Act 2009.
To request access to someone else's health records, talk to your health care team or contact our Information Access Units.
Only the people caring for you will use your health record, but some government organisations may also have legal permission to access your health record.
Our hospital and health service takes active steps to protect your privacy. We understand and value your concerns for privacy, confidentiality, and security when sharing information.
Our staff protects your privacy by following the National Privacy Principles in the IP Act, covering how we handle personal information.
If you have concerns about your privacy or the confidentiality of your personal information, including privacy complaints, please contact our Information Access Units.
Read more about health records and privacy on the Queensland Health website.