Hospital Management Investigation

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): Can the minister just clarify that it is the policy of the department that whenever a breach of patient's records confidentiality occurs that the patient involved is informed of this breach?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:12): Certainly I would expect so. It would—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Once again I tell the Leader of the Opposition, volume is not a substitute for intelligence. Mr Speaker—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Minister, I realise the leader is annoying by interjecting, but if you insult him then he will just annoy you even more. Minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Annoying, I guess, in the same way a flea is—but, anyway, Mr Speaker, we have a policy in place of open disclosure, so that when there is an adverse event—any adverse event, not just with regard to medical records but any adverse event relating to a patient—SA Health policy is quite clear, and that is that SA Health policy has a policy of informing the patient who is affected that the adverse event has happened, and as minister I would expect that in this particular case that would have happened. But, as I say, I will make sure. I will double-check.