Victorian AMA seeks to allay privacy concerns as lower house passes contentious health database bill

Some argue a centralised system – with no ability to opt out – will remove people’s autonomy over their medical information

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Victoria’s peak medical body has sought to quell privacy concerns over a bid to centralise all medical records across the state’s public health systems, saying the benefits outweigh the risks “99 to 1%”.

Civil liberty groups have argued the centralised database – which would come with no ability to opt out – removes people’s autonomy over their health information, while the stalking survivor Di McDonald pointed to data breaches at Medibank and Optus as examples of how hackers might access personal details.

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