Ministerial Statement

Hospital Management Investigation

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Mr Speaker, I have been advised that 13 staff of SA Health have inappropriately accessed a patient's electronic medical record. This inappropriate access was only identified through monitoring of our electronic medical records. This is absolutely inappropriate behaviour from our health staff and is contrary to all SA Health policies related to patient privacy. Staff members who have undertaken this action have been counselled and given formal warnings.

I note the majority of our 31,000 staff do the right thing in our hospitals, and it is disappointing that a small minority have tarnished the reputation of others. Over the past 12 months, in addition to the 13 staff in this case, there have been a further eight SA Health staff who have received formal disciplinary action for inappropriately accessing files. Two of these employees have been dismissed and others have received formal warnings.