Relocating or retiring - providers

You are required by the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997 to publicly advertise
the closure, merger or relocation of your practice in a transfer notice 30 days prior to the
closure, merger or relocation. You are also required to notify ACT Health of the transfer notice
information as soon as practicable after publication. ACT Health is required to forward this
information to the ACT Health Services Commissioner.

Recent changes to the Health Records (Privacy & Access) Act 1997

Changes to the Health Records (Privacy & Access) Act 1997 came into force on 1 October 2010, with the recently passed Health Legislation Amendment Act 2010 (No.2).

The changes to the law affect patient health record keepers as follows:

• it requires a period of four weeks notice to consumers and the community before a closure, merger or relocation of a practice;
• it enables the prioritisation of urgent requests for the transfer of health records;
• it clarifies that consumers can only ask for a copy of their health record and not an original but this does not prevent you transferring original records if you choose;
• it clarifies the time frames around when a requested copy of a record must be provided by a record keeper; and
• it introduces a requirement that record keepers notify ACT Health of practice closures, mergers or relocations.

Please see the ACT Health factsheet for more information.

Last updated 21 Oct 2010