Health Legislation Amendment (eHealth) Act 2015 (157 of 2015)

Schedule 1   Healthcare identifiers and health records

Part 1   Amendments

Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010

37   Before section 28

Insert:

28AA Simplified outline of this Part

If a person is authorised to collect, use or disclose information under this Act, the person will not interfere with the privacy of an individual for the purposes of the Privacy Act 1988 in doing so.

Section 26 imposes a higher standard of privacy in relation to healthcare identifiers than is imposed in relation to other information. If a person uses or discloses a healthcare identifier in circumstances that are not permitted under that section, the person will not only be subject to criminal and civil penalties. That action will also be an interference with privacy for the purposes of the Privacy Act 1988, and can be dealt with as such under that Act.