About your health record
We collect medical information about all our patients and store their personal health information securely.
Health records may include:
- diagnosis and treatments
- test results, x-rays and scans
- surgical, nursing and allied health notes
- reports and letters from doctors and specialists
- information about any research studies you're part of.
Every time you visit one of our health facilities, we make sure your personal details are up-to-date. If you’re not a current inpatient or outpatient and still need to update your information, the Elective Admissions Service can help you do that.
You can contact them by:
- Phone: 07 3176 2911
- Email: admissions_pah@health.qld.gov.au
How to access your health record
Records are the property of Metro South Health, but you have the right to request information held in your medical record.
When requesting access to your health information, you'll need to provide a certified copy of your identity documents, such as:
- passport
- birth certificate or copy or extract from the birth registry
- driver's licence
- for prisoners, a copy of their identity card, certified by a corrective services officer.
If you don’t have any of the listed documents, talk to our health service about other accepted evidence of identity documents.
If we can't process your application, we'll refer it for processing under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) and contact you.
Learn more about amending or accessing your health record on the Queensland Health website.
Who can see your health records
Your healthcare professional or GP can see your records using the online Health Provider Portal.
They can see records like:
- test results
- medicine list
- outpatient letters
- operation reports
- pathology reports
- discharge summaries
- medical imaging reports.
How to access your health record
You might be able to access your health records if you have a My Health Record on the digitalhealth.gov.au website.
How to access other people’s health records
To access someone else's health records, such as a family member, you'll need their written permission. This must be an original document, and they'll need to sign and date it.
If you're acting on behalf of someone else, such as a patient's lawyer, you may need to give evidence of your identity. You'll also need to show authorisation to act on their behalf.
If you have a document such as an Enduring Power of Attorney that allows you to act on someone's behalf, you'll need this when applying.
If you don’t have permission or authorisation to act on someone's behalf, you must request it under the Right to Information Act 2009.
To request access to someone else's health records, talk to your health care team or contact our Information Access Units.
Privacy and confidentiality
Only the people caring for you will use your health record, but some government organisations may also have legal permission to access your health record.
Our hospital and health service takes active steps to protect your privacy. We understand and value your concerns for privacy, confidentiality, and security when sharing information.
Our staff protects your privacy by following the National Privacy Principles in the IP Act, covering how we handle personal information.
If you have concerns about your privacy or the confidentiality of your personal information, including privacy complaints, please contact our Information Access Units.
More information
Read more about health records and privacy on the Queensland Health website.