State f iles on autism a violation

IT’S hard to imagine a more egregious violation of privacy than that revealed by RTÉ Investigates this week.

The details of confidential medical and psychiatric consultations involving children with autism, who had been involved in litigation against the State, were secretly accessed by the Department of Health and compiled into files.

The most shocking aspect of all this is not just that the Department of Health secured the co-operation of both the Department of Education and the HSE, but that information also came from medical personnel.

We all assume that what happens during our visits to doctors remains entirely private and can only be revealed in two well-defined circumstances – with our permission, or on foot of a court order.

The political blowback from the apparent shredding of doctor-patient confidentiality involving little children and their families has clearly convinced the Government to wash their hands of this latest bureaucratic disaster.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee, above, was quick to express her outrage. She was absolutely clear that medical confidentiality could not be breached without the permission of those involved.

But the Department of Health said the creation of such dossiers was ‘normal’ and that State bodies shared information when litigation was concerned.

They had also commissioned a barrister to examine the issue and nothing had arisen to change its practice.

The revelations about these extraordinary dossiers are offensive on two levels – their questionable legal status, and the complete absence of respect for people and their right to privacy.