In the media
Trans fats could be stripped from global food supply
within five years
It's in margarine, ghee and fried food like hot chips —
but according to some experts "trans fat is an unnecessary
toxic chemical that kills, and there's no reason people ...
should continue to be exposed" (15 May 2018).
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Opt-out period for My Health Records
announced
Australians who don't want a personal electronic health record
will have from 16 July to 15 October to opt-out of the national
scheme the federal government announced on Monday. Every Australian
will have a My Health Record unless they choose to opt-out during
the three-month period, according to the Australian Digital Health
Agency. The announcement follows the release of the
government's secondary use of data rules earlier this month
that inflamed concerns of patient privacy (14 May 2018).
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Australia releases framework for My Health Record to
deliver better outcomes for patients
The framework defines how data on the My Health Record system can
be used for research and public health purposes while preserving
privacy and security of data in the system. The My Health Record
system provides online summaries of patients' health
information which includes information such as allergies,
medication the patient is currently prescribed to, his/her
diagnosed medical conditions, and pathology test results like blood
tests (15 May 2018).
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Ombudsman releases NDIA reviews report
Commonwealth Ombudsman today released a report into the National
Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) handling of reviews of
decisions under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act
2013. The report discusses systemic issues highlighted by
complaints and stakeholder feedback including significant backlogs,
delays in decision making and poor communication practices (15 May
2018).
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Revisiting Breen v Williams: Breathing Life into a
Doctor-Patient Fiduciary Relationship.
Diana Nestorovska; (2018) 25(3) Journal of Law and Medicine
692
This article considers whether the doctor-patient relationship
should be classed as a fiduciary relationship. It considers the
general principles surrounding fiduciary obligations, and
establishes criteria around which the question of a doctor-patient
fiduciary relationship is discussed, namely workability and
necessity. In particular, this article discusses the types of
conflicts of interest that arise in medical practice as well as the
Australian regulatory framework in respect of the medical
profession.
This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.