No medical info sharing opt-out as Vic govt stands firm

Stalking victim-survivor Di cDonald.
Stalking victim-survivor Di McDonald speaks out at Parliament House in Melbourne. -AAP Image

Victorians' medical records could be "warehoused" without the choice to opt out, as the state government stands firm on proposed laws.

The Health Legislation Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill has been revived by the Andrews Labor government after lapsing when parliament ended last term.

The legislation, which is expected to pass the lower house on Thursday, would pave the way for the creation of a centralised electronic system to enable public hospitals and other health services to better share patient information.

At present, the bill does not contain an opt-out scheme similar to the federal government's My Health Record, which one in 10 Victorians have used.

Di McDonald was stalked by a man for five years and has lived in fear since his release from jail.

The stalking victim-survivor is worried he will track her down if her information is leaked, because she can't opt out of the database.

"It's a compulsory thing," Ms McDonald said at parliament.

"I guard my privacy. Where are our human rights here to have control over our own private information?"

Despite only authorised medical staff being able to access data for their patients, and the prospect of a maximum two-year jail term for unauthorised access, Ms McDonald remains concerned.

"They may have all these safeguards in place, but we have learned from Optus and Medibank it's very easy to get hacked," she said.

"It could be a medical person, for me, that knows the stalker and then they've got everything."

Liberty Victoria said the bill should not be passed in its current form, saying the lack of an opt-out scheme would mean private health information is "warehoused" without patient consent.

"The proposal in the bill will make highly personal information available to many thousands of health workers without sufficient safeguards," president Michael Stanton said.

Liberal Democrat David Limbrick on Thursday tabled a petition with 10,000 signatures calling on the bill to maintain patient consent and privacy, forcing a special debate in parliament.

He and the opposition plan to move amendments when the bill reaches the upper house, where the government will need the support of at least six crossbenchers for it to pass.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has declared the government won't amend the bill, with similar health-sharing arrangements in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT not featuring an opt-out clause.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was "highly unlikely" the changes would lead to private information ending up in the wrong hands, because the proposed laws shore up safeguards surrounding hospitals sharing patient records.

"Information is already held and shared and these provisions are about strengthening that to make sure that those who are providing treatment ... have got all the information they need to make sure you get the best care possible," Mr Andrews said.