Insights Categories: Health

If you operate a health service, or are a health practitioner working in NSW, you need to be aware of a regulation that came into effect on 1 September 2022 being the Public Health Regulation 2022. The regulation sets out prescriptive obligations for all health practitioners and health organisations, be they public or private. For […]

Key takeaways On 18 June 2022, the Veterinary Practice Act 2021 (Act) commenced and the newly appointed members of the Veterinary Practice Board (Board) started their term of office. The Act provides for the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine in Western Australia and seeks to facilitate the regulation of the practice of veterinary […]

Brief Context In Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v Bergin [2022] VR 4, a registered nurse (Practitioner) was found to have engaged in professional misconduct due to her failure to remain in isolation while awaiting the outcome of a COVID-19 test. Background The Practitioner was employed at a residential aged care facility. By virtue […]

The focus of this article is to explore how an individual pharmacist can create and maintain the documentation which may assist them in proving to the Pharmacy Board of Australia (Board) that they have met the training requirements for complex compounding. What is compounding? Drug compounding is the combining of individual ingredients in the exact […]

While 84% of Australians consider privacy to be important when they are choosing a website or digital service, only 20% read privacy policies and are confident they understand them.[1] This highlights the trust Australians place in service providers – trusting that their personal information will be handled with integrity and care. This year’s Privacy Awareness […]

With increasing frequency in recent times, Meridian Lawyers is acting for registered health practitioners who have been the subject of investigation and/or disciplinary action for failure to comply with their obligation to notify their National Board of a ‘relevant event’. This article also serves to remind health practitioners and students[1] of their obligations to notify, […]

UK: Court of Appeal overturns controversial finding that under-16s cannot give informed consent to treatment with puberty blockers for gender dysphoria; attempt to restrict the Gillick test by elucidating a clinical checklist for consent deemed “inappropriate” The UK Court of Appeal[1] has overturned the controversial decision of Bell v Tavistock[2] in which the High Court […]

Heidi Crowter, a 26-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome, brought a case in the High Court of England and Wales challenging the validity of the abortion laws in England, Scotland and Wales. Mrs Crowter argued that the laws were fundamentally discriminatory against people living with Down’s syndrome.[1] Mrs Crowter — who is married and lives independently […]

The Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, Angelene Falk, recently determined that 7-Eleven interfered with up to 1.6 million customers’ privacy by collecting sensitive biometric information, via in-store customer satisfaction surveys, that was not reasonably necessary for its functions and without adequate notice or consent. This determination is a timely reminder to businesses to collect […]

Vaccinated Australians will have, by now, accessed their COVID-19 vaccination certificate, a token of our roadmap out of lockdown. However, the token comes with personal and, in some formats, sensitive information. For example, the: COVID-19 digital certificate which can be saved to a smart phone reveals date of birth; the International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate that […]

Case: Hyland v Medical Council of New South Wales [2021] NSWCATOD 199 The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (“the Tribunal”) set aside the Medical Council of New South Wales’ (“the Council”) decision to suspend Mr Hyland’s registration as a medical student. Background The Council considered that it was appropriate to suspend Mr Hyland’s registration “in […]