Medical records would not be on computer

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 3

Medical records would not be on computer

PA Wellington A bill which will “flag” the Wanganui Computer Centre records of people who have been special patients under the Mental Health Act will not allow any actual medical records to be entered on the computer, Parliament was told yesterday.

Under amendments to the Wanganui Computer Centre Amendment Bill (No. 2) recommended by the Justice and Law Reform Select Committee, the computer indicators will include the name of the hospital which was, or

had been, treating the subject.

The chairman of the committee, Mr J. G. Dillon (Lab., Hamilton East), reported the bill back to Parliament yesterday. Mr Dillon said a submission from the Task Force on the Revision of Mental Health Legislation generally supported the provisions of the bill. "However, the task force had concern that the existence of indicators might encourage incorrect assumptions about the dangerousness of psychiatric patients,” he said.

The police submission had supported the indicators, and called for two extra items to be included: the fact that a special patient was on leave of absence; and when a special patient was on such leave the name of the hospital from which leave had been granted. The committee agreed with the recommendations, Mr Dillon said. The Opposition’s spokesman on justice, Mr Jim McLay, (Birkenhead) said the National Party supported the measure.