Accessing your health records

You have the right to apply for access to information held in your health records under the Administrative Access Scheme. To apply for access complete the administrative access form or contact an information access officer.

Note: If you are having difficulty viewing the administrative access form you can use our non-interactive version of the administrative access form or Right click > Save as and view in Adobe reader.

When seeking access to your health information, you will need to provide evidence of your identity, such as:

• passport
• copy of a certificate or extract from a register of births
• drivers licence or 18+ card
• a statutory declaration from an individual who has known the person for at least one year, or
• if the person is a prisoner within the meaning of the Corrective Services Act 2006, a copy of the person’s identity card from the Department administering that Act that is certified by a corrective services officer within the meaning of that Act.

Alternatively, a copy of one of the above mentioned documents (apart from a prisoner identity card), where the copy has been certified as a ‘true copy’ by a qualified witness (that is, a lawyer or notary public, a Commissioner for Declarations or a Justice of the Peace, or correctional officer in the case of a prisoner identity card) will be accepted, as long as the original certified copy is provided.

Specific details on the requirements for evidence of identity, as well as evidence of authorisation where an application is made by an agent on an applicant’s behalf can be found on the Access to Health Records Information Sheet.

If you don’t have any of the listed documents, talk to an information access officer about other accepted evidence of identity documents.

If your application cannot be processed under administrative access, it will generally be referred for processing under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld).

Decision making timeframes

Administrative Access applications are generally processed within 20 business days. An application under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) must be processed within 25 business days, unless a further specified period has been agreed to by the Applicant. Extensions to the processing time can be applied if the applicant agrees and if it is requested prior to the original processing deadline.

Right of review

If you are dissatisfied with a decision we have made under either the Right to Information Act or the Information Privacy Act, you can apply to have that decision reviewed. An application for review must be made within 20 business days of the date of the letter communicating the decision. There are two options for review; an internal or an external review. An internal review will be conducted by another, not less senior, officer of the agency that made the access decision. An external review is conducted by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Accessing other people’s health records

If you want to access someone else’s records (e.g. a relative’s), and you do not have or are unable to obtain their consent, you will need to make an application under the Right to Information Act 2009 (Qld).

You can request information by:

• applying online
• downloading the Right to information and information privacy information access application form and submitting the original form:
  • in person at any government service centre
  • by mail, fax or email to the relevant right to information contact at Metro North Hospital and Health Service.

  Where an Enduring Power of Attorney is in place and the patient lacks capacity, an application can be made under the Powers of Attorney Act, 1998(Qld). A solicitor or agent can act on behalf of another person, however the patient’s authority is required in this situation. Other requirements may include evidence of identity for the patient and agent. Some applications may incur an application fee as well as processing and access charges. Please contact an information access officer for information on applicable fees and charges.

  For information on accessing records for deceased patients please contact an information access officer.

  Documents of a non-personal nature released under the Right to Information Act 2009 will be progressively published through our disclosure log.

  Accessing a child’s health record

  There are no charges for applying for access to child’s record under the Information Privacy Act however the decision-maker needs to satisfy themselves that the person applying is doing so for the child’s interests. The decision maker will need to know why the records is being requested and in order to determine if the release of the record is in the child’s best interests.

  For further information on accessing records for children please contact an information access officer.

  Amending information in your health record

  If there is information in your health record that is incorrect or which you do not agree with, you can apply for it to be amended under the Information Privacy Act 2009. You will need to provide details of why the information may be inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading. For more information please contact an information access officer.

  Fees and charges

  There is no application fee for access and processing of Administrative Access applications, however there may be processing charges for applications processed under the Information Privacy Act 2009 depending on the volume of information required.

  Processing timeframes

  Under the Right to Information Act 2009 and Information Privacy Act 2009, applications must be processed within 25 business days, unless a further specified period has been agreed to by the Applicant. Where the health service is required to consult with and obtain the views of a relevant third party, an additional 10 business days is added to the 25 business day processing timeframe. Extensions to the processing time can be applied if the applicant agrees and if it is requested prior to the original processing deadline.

  Health Provider Portal

  Queensland Eligible Health Practitioners (HPs) now have secure online access to patient healthcare information from Queensland’s public hospitals. Eligible Health Practitioners can include General Practitioners (GPs), Specialists, Nurses, Midwives, Paramedics and Pharmacists.

  This access bridges the information gap between Queensland HPs and public hospitals to help ensure patients receive consistent, timely and better coordinated care.

  HPs access this information through the Health Provider Portal (HPP).

  If you prefer that your treating health practitioners did not have online access to your public healthcare information, you have the right to opt-out. You can do this by calling 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

  Contact us

  Clinical information access and right to information

  Information access and right to information

  Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals
  In person: Counter enquiries, Health Information Services Window, Ground floor, Caboolture Hospital
  Post: Information Access Unit,
  Caboolture Hospital, LMB No. 3,
  CABOOLTURE QLD 4510
  Phone: (07) 5316 3943
  Fax: (07) 5433 8706
  Email: Cab-HIS-IAU@health.qld.gov.au

  Redcliffe Hospital
  Located: Counter enquiries, Volunteers desk (Front desk), Ground floor, Redcliffe Hospital
  Post: Information Access Unit, Redcliffe Hospital, LMB No. 1, REDCLIFFE QLD 4020
  Phone: (07) 3883 7513
  Fax: (07) 3883 7906
  Email: IAU-Redcliffe@health.qld.gov.au

  The Prince Charles Hospital
  Located: Reception counter, Medical Records Department, Lower ground floor, Main Acute Building (Bldg 1), The Prince Charles Hospital
  Post: Information Access Unit, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road,
  CHERMSIDE QLD 4032
  Phone: (07) 3139 5634
  Email: IAU-TPCH@health.qld.gov.au

  Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
  Post: Information Access Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Butterfield Street, HERSTON QLD 4029
  Phone: (07) 3646 8323
  Fax: (07) 3646 7605
  Email: IAU-RBWH@health.qld.gov.au

  Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS)
  Post: Information Access Unit, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service, 296 Herston Road, HERSTON QLD 4029
  Phone: (07) 3647 6950
  Email: STARS_IAU@health.qld.gov.au

  Metro North Hospital and Health Service
  Post: Information Access Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Butterfield Street,
  HERSTON QLD 4029
  Phone: (07) 3646 8323
  Fax: (07) 3646 7605
  Email: IAU-RBWH@health.qld.gov.au