Confidentiality loss feared

Press, 28 May 1983, Page 21

Confidentiality loss feared

PA Wellington Any move to store psychiatric records of any type of patient must be very carefully considered, the chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association, Dr Dean Williams, has said. Dr Williams said that confidentiality between doctors and patients was highly valued by the medical profession and it would be wary of anything that could be seen to break that trust.

He was commenting on the terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry into the lan Donaldson case. Dr Williams said he could understand why the police might want access to psychiatric records, especially on such occasions as the Donaldson case. Donaldson, a former

patient in the security wing of the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital, was found dead in a booby-trapped car north of Wellington last month. He had been released from hospital and was later arrested after trying to break into a Lower Hutt house. He was released on bail and, at the time of his death, was sought by the police inquiring into the murder of a Wellington man, Alan Henderson. Dr Williams said the first duty of doctors was to protect the confidentiality of their patients. “We recognise that doctors have a responsibility wherever a danger develops to give a certain amount of information,” he said. “But we have to be sure that the

community good far outweighs the patient’s right to confidentiality before we waive that right.” The deputy executive director of the Nurses’ Association, Ms Marion Blackboum, said she would not be happy if the police had direct access to psychiatric records. Medical records were not written with “lay people” in mind and could be misinterpreted by people who lacked medical training.

Dr Williams agreed, saying he would have “grave reservations” if police stations could just telephone and get the information. However, Ms Blackbourn said she would not “march in the streets” if the courts had access to the information when considering bail

applications. Both expressed doubts about the definition of a “potentially dangerous patient.” The Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, said yesterday that there was “no thought whatsoever in the terms of reference to even consider the question of placing all psychiatric records on the Wanganui computer file and there never has been any such intention.”

The commission must present its findings to the Governor-General by August 31. A decision on whether to release the report would be made then, the Minister of Justice, Mr McLay said.