WA COUNTRY HEALTH SERVICE
— PATIENT INFORMATION
469. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to questions without notice
404 and 449, asked by me on 12 and 14 May 2020 respectively.
(1) Within its
contracted services to the WA Country Health Service, is Global Diagnostics
Australia required to provide treating health practitioners with access to its
secure online platforms in order to access medical images and reports?
(2) If yes to (1), has WACHS reviewed the terms and
conditions being imposed on treating health practitioners by Global
Diagnostics Australia for access to its secure online platform to ensure that
they are legally appropriate and do not unreasonably withhold access?
(3) If no to (2),
why not, given that WACHS accepted offers only from those contractors that
provided access to a secure online platform as part of its tender evaluation
process?
(4) Does WACHS
require Global Diagnostics Australia to obtain written or verbal consent for
the release of patient information to treating health practitioners?
Hon ALANNA
CLOHESY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) No.
(3) As part of the request specifications, the WA
Country Health Service requested that a secure online platform be included as part of the respondent's
response. WACHS' contractual arrangement with Global Diagnostics
Australia requires it to adhere to the Department of Finance's general
conditions of contract, including its data security provisions and WA Health's
''Information Access, Use and Disclosure Policy''.
(4) WACHS has
previously advised Global Diagnostics Australia to provide clinicians access to
any radiological studies when appropriate patient consent has been provided.