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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Jasper Lindell

Work safety watchdog told it may have been sent medical records from Dhulwa

The independent work safety watchdog has been told it may hold personal medical records leaked from the Dhulwa mental health unit.

WorkSafe ACT on Thursday said it had been told by Canberra Health Services on March 31 it could possess health records from the unit.

"WorkSafe ACT takes this matter very seriously and is assisting [Canberra Health Services] with its enquiries and is following all necessary notification procedures," the independent statutory authority said in a statement.

"Concurrently, WorkSafe ACT is reviewing its information collection processes to determine whether enhancements are required.

"No further comments will be made at this time."

The Dhulwa mental health unit. PIcture by Jake Sims

Deputy Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said the latest revelation showed it was clear the public was a long way from understanding the full picture of the data breaches.

"This latest revelation only adds to the dysfunction and chaos that surrounds the management of the secure mental health facility. How this entire debacle has played out in the media highlights the secrecy by a flailing minister," Mr Hanson said.

Mr Hanson said the government would be unable to fix the problems while it focused on hiding what was happening from the public.

A Canberra Health Services spokeswoman this week confirmed six staff members from Dhulwa mental health unit are being investigated over allegations they had provided patient information to the nurses' union and four had been stood down.

The Canberra Times had previously reported two mental health nurses in Dhulwa had been suspended and one had been sacked over the alleged breaches.

Another senior nurse in a separate part of Canberra Health Services has also been stood down over similar allegations.

The nurses are facing allegations they provided information about 13 patients to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation over a period of years.

The union has argued the disclosures were lawful and allowed under legislation and Canberra Health Services policies. The union has said this is allowed when nurses and midwives have specific concerns about patient safety.

The union has raised significant concerns around the safety of staff at Dhulwa over recent years, which prompted an inquiry into the unit last year.

WorkSafe issued improvement and prohibition notices to the Dhulwa mental health unit in April 2022, after nurses reported more than 100 physical assaults at the unit within half a year.

This inquiry found there were "poor standards of care delivery" and the standard of care at the facility was well below expectations. It found there was a lack of work health and safety processes and that patient and treatment procedures were unclear.

However, the inquiry had said claims of violence at the facility were "inflated" and the report said the inquiry had heard concerns from stakeholders around breaches of privacy and confidentiality.

The alleged privacy breaches are the subject of police and integrity commission investigations.

Mental Health Emma Davidson publicly named the ANMF as the recipients of the information under parliamentary privilege in the Legislative Assembly on March 23.

The Minister then named Dhulwa as the area where the breaches occurred on March 28, while she faced an unsuccessful motion of no-confidence.

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