Organization Policies
The Royal Melbourne Hospital will generally make available to the consumer, carer or community representatives on committees/working groups all relevant information presented to the committee. Some of this information may be confidential or of a sensitive nature so that it must not be made available to anyone outside the committee. The Royal Melbourne Hospital is also subject to numerous legal requirements which regulate the way it collects, uses and discloses personal and health information relating to its patients, staff and others. For example, for legal as well as ethical reasons information that identifies individuals involved in matters discussed by the committee must be kept confidential.
These guidelines will help you understand your obligations about the use and disclosure of information which you may receive in the course of your role as a consumer, carer or community member on the committee.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital Confidential Information
Depending upon the nature of the committee, consumers, carers or community members may receive confidential information relating to:
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital systems, processes and policies (including patient care issues);
- reports of internal or external reviews, including drafts or unpublished reports;
- draft Royal Melbourne Hospital strategic and operational plans;
- any other information which is identified by The Royal Melbourne Hospitalas being confidential.
Confidential information may be discussed within the committee or with authorised Royal Melbourne Hospital staff members.
Confidential information must not be disclosed to any other person or organisation without the express permission of the Chairman of the committee.
If you are uncertain as to whether information is confidential, you should clarify this with the designated support person on the committee, the Chairperson or the Royal Melbourne Hospital Community Engagement Manager.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital staff will be pleased to provide any background information you may need to prepare for a community forum or another activity which you attend in your role as a Royal Melbourne Hospital consumer, carer or community member.
If questions or issues about The Royal Melbourne Hospital are raised at community meetings you attend in your role as a consumer, carer or community member and which you are unable to answer or would like more information about, please refer your questions to your Royal Melbourne Hospital contact.
Personal and health information
The Royal Melbourne Hospital is subject to numerous legislative requirements relating to the confidentiality and privacy of the personal and health information of its patients, including:
- section 141 of the Health Services Act 1988;
- the Health Records Act 2001; and
- the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.
As a consumer, carer or community member of a committee for The Royal Melbourne Hospital, you have an obligation to meet these requirements, and to continue to meet them even after you stop being a committee member. You must establish and maintain adequate security measures to look after confidential information and ensure it is not discussed with any unauthorised person. For example, you should not leave papers in an unlocked car, or on your desk at work or at home where any visitor could see it.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital must only use or disclose information it collects about patients for the purpose of performing its functions, which is usually for the purpose of providing treatment to that patient. Therefore, a patient’s health information (which includes personal information such as their name) will not usually be made available to the consumer, carer or community committee members.
Consumer, carer or community committee members must ensure that they make no unauthorised disclosure of the information.
In observing this requirement, you should, for example, ensure that:
- you do not discuss patient details in the presence of unauthorised persons;
- you do not use the information for any purpose other than in discharging your duties as a consumer, carer or community member representative;
- you do not disclose any patient details, whether in identified form or not, to any unauthorised person or member of the public.
The Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 also applies to information relating to Royal Melbourne Hospital staff, and others about whom it collects and holds personal information. The above principles relating to the handling of patients’ information should also apply when you are dealing with information relating to these individuals.
This information sheet provides only a brief overview of some of your confidentiality and privacy obligations as a consumer, carer or community member on a Royal Melbourne Hospital committee. For further details, please read the Royal Melbourne Hospital policy relating to confidentiality and privacy.
Conflict of Interest
Depending on the nature of the committee you are on, you may have a conflict with the discussions on the committee. This could be a conflict with another role you hold within the community of business or other interests you have. For this reason, we ask that you declare any personal obligation, allegiance or loyalty that would in any way affect your participation or judgement relating to the subject being discussed.
