AMA calls draft privacy laws a threat to doctors but plaintiff lawyer disagrees
Lawyer Nick Mann says the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill does not target doctors intentionally or incidentally.
A plaintiff lawyer has doused concerns that GPs could be sued for recording patients’ family history under proposed privacy law changes.
The Federal Government wants privacy laws amended to create a new tort for serious privacy invasions, such as maliciously publishing personal information.
But the AMA says the proposals expose doctors to “significant legal risks” because, unlike current laws, they do not have explicit protections for collecting information necessary to provide health services.
It would mean that recording information, such as genetic predispositions or family concerns about a patient not taking medication, without the patient’s express consent would become legally risky, the AMA said in its submission.
