Greg Hunt moves to allay My Health record fears amid opt outs

Greg Hunt has defended the electronic health record system amid privacy fears, and a rush of people deserting the system.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture: AAP

Health Minister Greg Hunt has defended the government’s electronic health record system amid fears over privacy, and a rush of people opting out.

Within a day of the three-month opt-out period beginning on Monday, 20,000 Australians had contacted My Health Record to have their personal medical details taken out of the scheme.

Mr Hunt said the scheme had been foreshadowed in 2005, announced in 2010 and commenced in 2012, and six million Australians were now part of it.

He said more than 90 per cent of those who had been invited to participate in My Health Record trials had chosen to take part, and there had been no privacy breaches in six years.

“So, as a percentage of Australians, it’s likely to be, again, well over 90 per cent that participate,” Mr Hunt said.

“But the beauty of this is every Australian gets the choice. The benefit of it is, of course, that this is about ensuring that we know our history.

“Any of us, anywhere, any time, can call our medical history up for the first time.

“This is our information that any Australian should have a right to access, and which hasn’t previously been available.

“It’s an important right, and it’s an important medical breakthrough.”

Mr Hunt said medical authorities had advised on the scheme, and supported it.

He said 75 per cent of general practitioners and hospitals had joined the scheme, and all pharmacists would be part of it by the end of the year.

“So we’re actually well ahead of schedule, and the nature of an opt-out system is that people actually get the right to opt out and I think that that’s an incredibly important thing,” Mr Hunt said.