What is the scheme?
This scheme grants qualified privilege to eligible quality assurance activities.
Qualified privilege:
- prohibits the release of information that may identify a person, including patients and health professionals
- protects those taking part in the activities from civil liability and legal action.
Qualified privilege is supported by legislation.
These protections encourage health professionals to take part in activities that assess the quality of health services.
The activities must relate to health services that involve Australian Government funding.
Find out more about eligible activities and the confidentiality requirements.
Why the scheme is important
This scheme is important for health professionals. They can:
- take part in activities without the risk of their information (such as their involvement in undesirable clinical outcomes) becoming public
- avoid embarrassment, harm to their reputation or legal action.
This scheme is also important for organisations running the activities. It can lead to:
- more patients and health professionals taking part in the activities
- better data to help assess and improve health services.
Patients also benefit from a higher quality healthcare system.
Goal of the scheme
This scheme aims to help ensure our health services are high quality and effective.
How the scheme works
Under this scheme:
- Organisations apply for a declaration to get qualified privilege for activities.
- All participants of the activity must comply with the confidentiality requirements.
- Organisations must share de-identified information from the activity.
Find out more about how the scheme works.
Legislation
- Part VC of the Health Insurance Act 1973
- Part 10, sections 84 to 89 of the Health Insurance Regulations 2018
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