In short:
SA Health says an investigation into a potential privacy breach involving a patient understood to be Charlie Stevens will be “concluded” in the “coming months”.
Earlier this month, ABC News revealed that SA Health was investigating 18 staff over allegations they “inappropriately” accessed the medical records of the teenager, who was the victim of a fatal hit-and-run crash.
What’s next?
An SA Health spokesperson said the investigation into the matter was “progressing”.
South Australia’s public health department says it is still months away from completing an investigation into a potential privacy breach involving a patient ABC News understands to be the SA Police commissioner’s son.
ABC News exclusively revealed earlier this month that SA Health was investigating 18 staff, 10 of whom had been suspended, over allegations they “inappropriately” accessed a patient’s medical records.
The patient is understood to be Charlie Stevens, the son of Commissioner Grant Stevens.
The 18-year-old suffered an irreversible brain injury and later died after a hit-and-run crash on South Australia’s south coast during schoolies celebrations in November.
In response to questions from ABC News, a department spokesperson said an investigation to determine whether the 18 staff had inappropriately accessed his records was “progressing”.
“We expect matters to be concluded in the coming months,” they said.
The spokesperson did not respond to questions asking how many staff were currently suspended, for how long they had been off work, or whether they were still getting paid.
The spokesperson also did not say whether any staff had lost their jobs.
Health Minister Chris Picton said his department was taking the investigation “extremely seriously”.
“SA Health is having to abide by the appropriate processes and due process to do this investigation,” he said.
“We need to make sure that we follow the appropriate due process to make sure that action that will be taken will stand up before the Employment Tribunal — if that was going to be challenged.”
Mr Picton said he was unable to say how many staff were currently suspended, or whether they were still getting paid.
Earlier this month, the department’s deputy chief executive, Judith Formston, said any staff found to have accessed information inappropriately would be “subject to disciplinary processes, which may include the termination of their employment”.
She apologised to the patient’s family “for distressed caused”.
“Protecting patients and their private clinical information is a matter we take extremely seriously,” she said.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was appalled by the alleged privacy breach and that type of behaviour would not be tolerated in South Australia’s health system.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard about this,” he said earlier this month.
“There are regular audits in place to make sure health staff aren’t looking at health records of people that they shouldn’t be.”