SA Health staff suspended for allegedly accessing Charlie Stevens’ medical records without authorization

The South Australian Department of Health has suspended ten employees. They are accused of “improperly” accessing the medical records of a patient. According to ABC News, the patient is the son of the South Australian police commissioner.

In a statement to ABC, SA Health deputy chief executive Judith Formston said that as a result of an audit, a total of 18 staff are currently being investigated for “possibly improper access to SAHLN (Southern Adelaide Local Health Network) patient records”.

She said ten of those employees have so far been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Any employee who gains improper access to information will face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment,” she said.

Charlie Stevens, the son of South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered an irreversible brain injury in a hit-and-run accident during the Schoolies celebrations on South Australia’s south coast in November.

The 18-year-old was flown to Flinders Medical Centre, but later died there.

His death sparked widespread mourning across the country, with Charlie’s local sports clubs, his school, and state and federal politicians expressing their condolences and comments on his death.

SA Health has not disclosed where the employees under investigation were working at the time the medical records were allegedly accessed.

ABC News has learned that the department’s patient records system can be accessed from several SA Health sites.

Ms Formston said SA Health would keep the patient’s family updated on his investigations.

“We sincerely apologize to the family for the suffering caused,” she said.

“The protection of patients and their private clinical information is an extremely serious matter for us.

“We have robust policies and processes in place to ensure employees have access to appropriate information. We also conduct audits to ensure our policies are followed.”

In a statement to ABC News, a South African police spokesman said SA Health had “kept the Stevens family updated on its investigation.”

“There is no further comment from the Stevens family,” they said.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas expressed his dismay at the alleged breach of privacy, saying such behaviour would not be tolerated in the South Australian health system.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard about it. There are regular checks to make sure health workers are not looking at the medical records of people they shouldn’t be looking at,” he said.

“There is a reason why the privacy of people’s health records is maintained.

“Just because you work in the health care system does not give you the right to pry into other people’s affairs that do not concern you.”

In 2016, SA Health committed to disclosing quarterly how many SA Health employees had been disciplinarily disciplined for improper access to patient records.

The move came after it was revealed that 21 SA Health employees were caught snooping and two of them were fired.

Thirteen of them were caught needlessly accessing the medical records of murder accused Cy Walsh, who was accused of murdering Phil Walsh when he was coach of the Adelaide Crows.