18 SA Health staff penalised for looking at top cop’s son’s medical records

Eight health staff have quit and another 10 have been reprimanded for an appalling act directed at a teenager with a high-profile father.

Almost 20 South Australian healthcare staff from a variety of roles have inappropriately looked at the medical records belonging to the teenage son of the state’s top police officer.

Eight of the staff quit before they could be fired, and another 10 deemed to have made less serious breaches have been reprimanded.

Charlie Stevens, 18, was fatally injured in a hit-and-run car crash during Schoolies in South Australia last year. His father is the state police commissioner, Grant Stevens.

In a statement released on Friday, SA Health said eight staff who “inappropriately accessed” the records quit before an investigation was completed.

Charlie Stevens died aged 18 in November 2023. Picture: Supplied

Had those eight staff not quit, SA Health said they would have been fired.

“Employees were advised that had they not resigned during the investigation, termination of their employment would have been pursued,” the statement reads.

Another 10 staff faced lesser penalties for similar behaviour.

“Sanctions ranged from warnings to reprimands, which took into consideration the facts and circumstances of each case,” the SA Health spokesperson said.

Charlie Stevens died in hospital a day after the crash. Picture: iStock

“Sanctions like these are part of an employee’s permanent record.”

One more employee is still being investigated.

“The patient’s family has been kept informed of the outcome of the investigations,” the spokesperson said.

“Our sincerest apologies go to the family for distress caused.”

News of the privacy breach was broken by the ABC in July.

At the time, Premier Peter Malinauskas described the privacy breach as appalling.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard about this,” he said.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma have used the public attention on their son’s death to humanise the true impact of road deaths. Picture: NewsWire / Dean Martin

“There are regular audits in place to make sure health staff aren’t looking at health records of people that they shouldn’t be.”

Charlie was celebrating Schoolies in November 2023 when a 19-year-old driver struck him. He died in hospital the following day.

The driver pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of the crash.

He was sentenced to a little over 13 months’ prison, which was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond.

Grant Stevens gained a large public profile in South Australia during the pandemic. In the wake of his son’s death, he wrote an open letter paying tribute to his son Charlie as “101”, or the 101st person to lose their life on the state’s roads that year.

Grant Stevens has been nominated for an Australian of the Year award. Picture: NewsWire

“101 is Charles Stevens – Charlie, Charlie Boy, Chas, Links, Steve. You lived life and gave so much to so many. You were a force of nature and we will never forget your beautiful cheeky, disarming smile,” he wrote.

“Son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, friends, workmate, teammate. So much more than just a number on a tragic tally.”

Mr Stevens and his wife Emma committed to reminding the public of the human consequence of road deaths. Their public push led to Mr Stevens being nominated for Australian of the Year in October.

Originally published as 18 SA Health staff penalised for looking at top cop’s son’s medical records