[2021] VCAT 322
General information, not legal advice.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2021-04-13
Ms J
Original judgment source is linked above.
The report from One Point Medical Centre confirmed a history of ADHD which was complicated in 2017 due to an episode of major depression. It was due to the recency of the major depression which led to the decline of TPD and SCI cover.
... I filled out a report for [EXW] which stated that she was suffering from a depressive/anxiety disorder. This was not in fact true. She was suffering from a Generalised Anxiety Disorder as a complication of her Adult ADHD. There was no documented evidence of Depression. I include a letter from her Psychiatrist Dr Jaya Reddy attached to this letter.
She is currently on Brintellix for the Anxiety disorder.
(a) ADHD and history of depression including mental health questionnaire completed.
(b) Factor V Leiden including any history of thrombosis and treatment.
(2) Insurance company refuses her disability insurance as MDD mentioned by me.
... I filled out a report for [EXW] which stated that she was suffering from a depressive/anxiety disorder. That in fact was not true. She was suffering from a Generalised Anxiety Disorder as a complication of her Adult ADHD. There was no documented evidence of Depression. I include a letter from her psychiatrist Dr Jaya Reddy attached to his letter.
She is currently on Brintellix for the Anxiety disorder.
Dr Mulroney has let us know that you were originally diagnosed with anxiety by Dr Saseendran. In addition the medication you are currently taking can only be prescribed for patients with Major Depression or Generalised Anxiety Disorder...
I am deeply concerned that I have been labelled with a disorder without clinical basis. My primary concern is to having my medical records corrected. I have never suffered depression or anxiety - nor have I sought treatment for either.
...an act or practice of an organisation is an interference with the privacy of an individual if and only if -
(a) the act or practice breaches part 5 or a Health Privacy Principle in relation to health information that relates to the individual.
4.2 A health service provider must not delete health information relating to an individual, even if it is later found or claimed to be inaccurate, unless -
(a) the deletion is permitted, authorised or required by the regulations or any other law; or
(b) the deletion is not contrary to the regulations or any other law and occurs -
(i) in the case of health information collected while the individual was a child, after the individual attains the age of 25 years; or
(ii) in any case, more than 7 years after the last occasion on which a health service was provided to the individual by the provider -
4.3 A health service provider who deletes health information in accordance with HPP 4.2 must make a written note of the name of the individual to whom the health information related, the period covered by it and the date on which it was deleted.
6.5 If an organisation holds health information about an individual and the individual is able to establish that the information is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading or not up to date, the organisation must take reasonable steps to correct the information so that it is accurate, complete and up to date but must not delete the information otherwise than in accordance with HPP 4.2.
(a) the organisation is not willing to correct the health information in accordance with a request by the individual; and
(b) no decision or recommendation to the effect that the information should be corrected wholly or partly in accordance with the request, is pending or has been made under this Act or any other law; and
(c) the individual gives to the organisation a written statement concerning the requested correction -
the organisation must take reasonable steps to associate the statement with the information.
6.7 If the organisation accepts the need to correct the health information but -
(a) the organisation considers it likely that leaving incorrect information, even if corrected, could cause harm to the individual or result in inappropriate health services or care being provided; or
(b) the form in which the health information is held makes correction impossible; or
(c) the corrections required are sufficiently complex or numerous for a real possibility of confusion or error to arise in relation to interpreting or reading the record if it were to be so corrected -
the organisation must place the incorrect information on a record which is not generally available to anyone involved in providing health services to the individual, and to which access is restricted, and take reasonable steps to ensure that only the corrected information is generally available to anyone who may provide health services to the individual.
6.8 If an organisation corrects health information about an individual, it must -
(a) if practicable, record with the correction the name of the person who made the correction and the date on which the correction is made; and
(b) take reasonable steps to notify any health service providers to whom the organisation disclosed the health information before its correction and who may reasonably be expected to rely on that information in the future.
[EXW] incorrectly believes that the antidepressant medication she was on was being used to counteract the side effects of stimulant medication that was for her ADHD. This was definitely not the case. As stated above, Dr Saseendran noted clear evidence of MDD on her initial consultation. As a medical professional, I have reviewed the detailed consultation notes taken by Dr Saseendran on that occasion, and the GMS completed, and from my own knowledge of [EXW] after having myself treated her for a year, I consider Dr Saseendran made a clinical decision to initially treat the primary medical issue -[EXW's] ADHD, to see if the depressives symptoms settled. The reverse occurred and they were amplified by the stimulant medication, leading to antidepressant medication which continued to be used.
[1] Kitson v Dennerstein (Human Rights) [2015] VCAT 138 [55].
[2] American Psychiatric Association "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders. 5th ed. Washington DC. American Psychiatric Association, 2013:222.
[4] Ibid s 78(1)(a)(iv).
[5] Ibid s 78(1)(a)(v)(vi).
EXW
Mulroney