The My Health Record telephone opt-out service has overloaded and crashed as Australians rush to opt out of the controversial e-health system before the November 15 deadline.
Callers to the helpline are being told the computer system used by call centre operators has crashed.
"We've been inundated with calls," one operator said on Tuesday morning. "They are working as quickly as possible to get it up and running again."
One patient was advised to "try again later or tomorrow" and that the line would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is understood that people have also had difficulties opting out online.
About 17 million Australians will be automatically enrolled in the My Health record if they do not opt out by next Thursday, despite lingering significant privacy concerns.
It comes as Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt weighs up Labor's demands for six additional amendments to a government bill that is yet to pass in Parliament, which would address some of the privacy and security concerns of the existing legislation.
Australian Medical Association President Tony Bartone last night met with staffers from Mr Hunt's office to make the case for the minister to accept the recommendations of the Senate inquiry into the My Health Record rollout.
Legislation that would enshrine a patient's right to permanently delete their record, and ensure that police may only access a person's medical history with a court order, is yet to pass Parliament but politicians will not get a chance to debate the bill before the opt-out deadline passes on November 15.
The Senate inquiry last month recommended that the opt-out period be extended by 12 months and legislation substantially rewritten to safeguard patients' safety and privacy, but Mr Hunt refused to extend the opt-out period.
Labor has outlined six amendments, based on key Senate inquiry recommendations, which it will move to the government's bill if the issue is not resolved before the next sitting period.
These amendments will ensure that My Health Record "can never be privatised or commercialised"; that private health insurers "can never access My Health Records, including de-identified data"; and that employer doctors cannot access worker health records.
Labor will also move an amendment to ensure that domestic violence victims are protected, by "narrowing the definition of parental responsibility" as it applies to the scheme.
Currently, a violent former partner may access their child's My Health Record, even if they are not the custodial parent.
Domestic violence advocates have raised concerns that this information could be used to track down a person who is in hiding for safety reasons.
The Labor amendments will also specify that the Australian Digital Health Agency cannot delegate access to patient records to other entities, and enshrine tougher penalties for breaches of the My Health Record Act.
Opposition Health spokeswoman Catherine King repeated her call for Mr Hunt to further extend the opt-out period.
"This rollout should not continue until all concerns have been resolved through legislation, and a Privacy Commissioner review has been completed," Ms King said.
"Nearly four months after public controversy first erupted - and with less than 10 days to go until the opt-out period ends - we still don't know what the government is planning to do to fix this mess. The government’s rollout has seriously undermined public support for an electronic health record system that could deliver enormous benefits to patients and clinicians."
A spokesman for Mr Hunt said that, under the government's yet-to-be-passed reforms, anyone who opted out after the November 15 deadline would be able to have their details "deleted forever".
“The opt-out date has already been extended and the opt-outs are travelling at a significantly lower rate than expected," the spokeswoman said on Monday.
The Australian Digital Health Agency has been contacted for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/my-health-record-system-crashes-as-australians-rush-to-opt-...
