Concerns have been raised about a new plan to share information between hospitals in Victoria. 

According to the Andrews government, a new electronic system will allow Victorian hospitals to share patient information easily and provide the best possible care for patients. 

However, the bill does not provide an opt-out provision, and everyone is automatically included. 

This has led to more than 10,000 people signing a petition calling for a re-think, with some upper house crossbenchers and opposition seeking amendments to the bill.

The new system has been compared to the federal My Health Record program, which allows Victorians to opt-out. 

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas stated that the bill would not change and that there is already information sharing between health services through telephone, fax, and notes. 

The government has begun discussions with upper house MPs to secure passage of the bill. The Coalition, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats are concerned about privacy safeguards, given the increasing occurrence of data hacks at major companies such as Medibank and Optus.

The Victorian parliament will hold a special debate over the bill for the first time under new rules since the petition garnered more than 10,000 signatures. 

The opposition plans to propose amendments to the bill to include an opt-out provision and for Victorians to request information from the health department about who has accessed their personal data under freedom of information laws.

There is support from the medical community for the scheme, with Western Health CEO Russell Harrison stating that it would be a game-changer for clinicians to treat patients in a timely way. 

However, the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) has expressed concerns that the bill does not include an option for Victorians concerned about privacy to opt-out of sharing their personal information. 

LIV president Tania Wolff said that although the patient safety and health efficiency argument was used in favour of the new laws, it is not safe for every patient to have their healthcare information accessed by others. 

The laws aim to follow the health information-sharing arrangements of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the ACT, which do not provide an opt-out provision. 

Only treating clinicians directly involved in the care of patients can access medical information, and heavy fines will apply for data breaches.