Privacy of your medical records

When you become a patient of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), a medical record is created. This includes information such as your name, address and contact details, as well as information about your health problems and the treatment you received. Every time you attend or have contact with the RMH, new information is added to your record.

We collect and maintain personal and medical information to provide you with appropriate care and treatment. The information we collect during your visits is stored securely in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

This system is shared by the RMH, the Royal Children’s Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the Royal Women’s Hospital (the Parkville precinct). The EMR can be accessed by staff from all of these health services but only when they are directly involved with your care or treatment.

The RMH and the Department of Health collect and disclose information via a secure electronic health information sharing system to allow clinicians to access critical patient health information at the point of care across the Victorian public health system. Access to information about any previous treatment you received will enable us to provide you with safe and effective care. 

The Department of Health and RMH handles your health information in the system in accordance with the Health Services Act 1988 (Vic), Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). The Health Services Act 1988 (Vic) imposes penalties relating to unauthorised access, use or disclosure of information. 

Information collected and shared includes your personal information such as your name, date of birth and address, and relevant health information, including treatment you received. 

For more information, please read the CareSync Exchange Privacy Management Framework or contact the RMH Privacy Officer via email at privacy.officer@mh.org.au 

In addition to complying with all relevant privacy and confidentiality legislation, the RMH has strict policies and protocols with respect to the collection, use, disclosure and storage of patient information.

All paper and electronic systems across the Parkville precinct are managed and maintained appropriately. There are strict privacy laws, policies and procedures that are in place to govern the collection, use, release and disposal of your information. Staff access to these systems is audited regularly by each health service to monitor compliance.

Find out more about our EMR.

The RMH may disclose your information to other service providers outside the RMH, including your own doctor and other health care and community support providers, if this is necessary for your further treatment (for example, a discharge summary is usually sent to your GP).

You have the right to refuse your information being disclosed to service providers outside the RMH, which you can exercise by completing a Refusal of Consent to Disclosure and Use of Information form:

There may be occasions where the RMH may be obliged by, or authorised under, law to disclose patient information, regardless of the patient's consent. Examples of this include:

• Presentation of your medical record to a court when subpoenaed (in the case of legal action)
• Requests made under the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and/or Child Information Sharing Scheme
• Reporting to appropriate Government Authorities (such as registration of births, deaths, diseases and treatments)
• Reporting of information about care provided required by the Department of Health
• Reporting of information for quality and safety purposes
• Disclosures in accordance with the provisions of the Health Services Act and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act
• Sharing information with other public hospitals in Victoria in accordance with Health Legislation Amendment (Information Sharing) Act 2023

Who might contact patients after treatment?

• A member of the health care team for follow up, including evaluation
• A Royal Melbourne Hospital researcher, to invite you to participate in an important research project
• A member of our fundraising department may send you information or contact you with a request for financial support. If you do not wish for this to happen, contact the The RMH Foundation.