On 1 December 2020, the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ) (the NZ Privacy Act), repealed and replaced the Privacy Act 1993 (NZ). The NZ Privacy Act better aligns the privacy law in New Zealand (NZ) with international best practice. Importantly, for Australian residents and organisations, it means greater security and accountability for cross-border flow of personal […]
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A case scenario on patient privacy – can I discuss a deceased patient’s care with their family members?
Meridian Lawyers often receives calls from doctors and other health practitioners requesting one-off advice relating to their day-to-day practice. Recently, we have received a number of requests for advice about patient privacy and more specifically about the circumstances in which a health practitioner might be permitted to discuss a deceased patient with their family. The […]
A case scenario on death certificates – who can sign them and when?
Meridian Lawyers often receives calls from doctors and other health practitioners requesting one-off advice relating to their day-to-day practice. One common and enduring theme of these requests for advice is death certificates – who can prepare them, and when? For example, if a patient dies in an aged care home, can a locum doctor certify […]
Federal Court of Australia confirms Professional Services Review (PSR) has the power to order part repayments
Professional Services Review (PSR) is a Commonwealth Agency whose objective is to protect the integrity of the Commonwealth Medicare benefits, dental benefits and pharmaceutical benefits programs and, in doing so, protect patients and the community from the risks associated with ‘inappropriate practice’, and protect the Commonwealth from having to meet the cost of medical and […]
Coroners Court Directions Hearings now required within 28 days for mandatory inquest deaths
The Victorian State Coroner recently issued Practice Direction 5 of 2020 – ‘Directions Hearings in Mandatory Inquests’, requiring that in all cases where an inquest must be held, and unless reasons exist otherwise, a Directions Hearing will be convened within 28 days of the death being reported to the Coroner. A mandatory inquest is required […]
No half doses in pharmacy ownership
A reminder to pharmacy proprietors of their key responsibilities Meridian Lawyers regularly assists a range of healthcare professionals to understand the legal and professional obligations that attach to their particular profession. Recently, in NSW, we have assisted a number of proprietor pharmacists who have come under close scrutiny by the Pharmacy Council of NSW following […]
VCAT upholds use of immediate action power to suspend doctor over social media use
Meridian Lawyers recently published an article examining the power to take immediate action against health practitioners under section 156 of the National Law (if you missed it, that article can be read here). It considered a recent VCAT decision[1], wherein a doctor was suspended under section 156(1)(e), being the power to take immediate action in […]
UK High Court applies established duty of care principles to legalise professional guidance which permits disclosure of confidential information to a proximate third party without consent
ABC v NHS — Background The UK High Court[1] applied established duty of care principles to legalise professional guidance which permits disclosure of confidential information to a proximate third party without consent, in circumstances where the medical professional has properly undertaken the requisite balancing exercise of risks and interests affecting the patient, third party and […]
Pharmacy relocation – tips for navigating the critical steps
The need to relocate an existing pharmacy can arise for a variety of reasons. Meridian has recently advised pharmacies moving within the same shopping centre (for example, to take advantage of a larger sized shop), and a pharmacy in a medical centre moving to a new location along with the medical practice. While moving from […]
Key insights from July 2020 OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches Report
The Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme was introduced in February 2018 to improve consumer protection and security relating to personal information. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) recently released its half-yearly Notifiable Data Breaches Report (NDBR) for the period from 1 January to 30 July 2020. The NDBR provides detail around the causes […]
Three years on from the chaperone review, AHPRA celebrates changes to the regulatory landscape of sexual boundaries notifications
In 2017 Professor Ron Paterson delivered the Independent review of the use of chaperones to protect patients in Australia report (the Chaperone Report), which made 28 recommendations to AHPRA and the Medical Board of Australia (the MBA) for improving the handling of sexual boundary notifications in Australia. Among other things, the Chaperone Report recommended that […]