Health agency’s $88k secret

THE government agency charged with looking after Australians’ most sensitive health data is embroiled in a workplace dispute that has already cost taxpayers more than $80,000.

But the agency is refusing to disclose details of the scandal, formally refusing repeated FOI requests.

Nine in 10 Australians were given a My Health Record in February which contains highly personal information.

Yet despite being able to access such material, the Australian Digital Health Agency blocked an FOI request on details surrounding the conflict everyday Australians are paying for.

News Corp uncovered that the board of the Australian Digital Health Agency received a report from Weir Consulting in August 2019.

A response to an FOI request revealed the firm was engaged by Ashurst lawyers, who had been hired by the ADHA “in relation to a particular matter”.

The agency refuses to explain what that is but it confirmed Ashurst engaged Weir Consulting to prepare a report for the purposes of its legal advice to the agency. When an FOI request for a copy of the Weir report was knocked back, News Corp requested a copy of the minutes of the ADHA’s August 19 board meeting.

The report was to be discussed at this meeting. The board meeting minutes were given but almost the entire contents were redacted.

The minutes reveal the board held a 45-minute “closed session” but they do not disclose what took place at the time.

The FOI request for the report was denied on the grounds that the report was covered by legal professional privilege.

This secretive process has already cost the taxpayer more than $88,000, with Ashurst lawyers paid over $71,000 for legal advice and Weir Consulting paid $17,000.