Mr FINCH - 1995-10-18
Mr FINCH (Health Services): Mr Speaker, yesterday, the member for Nelson asked a question about X-rays at Royal Darwin Hospital. I can confirm that the letter was distributed to every known doctor on 30 June 1995. It stated:
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(1) The original X-ray films will not be released from the Radiology Department at Royal Darwin
Hospital.
(2) A copy of the X-ray report will be released with a written request from the doctor and the
patient's consent.
(3) If the doctor or patients require a copy of the actual film, then a copy will be made at a cost
of $5 per copy.
As I intimated yesterday, the $5 charge is to offset the cost of making the copy. The reason for the procedure is to ensure that valuable patient records are not lost, as has happened in the past. Often, patients forgot to return X-rays that were taken to doctors. That posed problems later when records were requested for further treatment or sometimes for court cases. Royal Darwin Hospital stores all X-rays for safekeeping. The superintendent of the Radiology Department can and has used discretion, in particular circumstances, in relation to the $5 cost of an X-ray. There is no discrimination in relation to the $5 fee. There has been only one case in which the fee was waived. I have been briefed on that case, and it was quite legitimate.
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Page 914
(1) The original X-ray films will not be released from the Radiology Department at Royal Darwin
Hospital.
(2) A copy of the X-ray report will be released with a written request from the doctor and the
patient's consent.
(3) If the doctor or patients require a copy of the actual film, then a copy will be made at a cost
of $5 per copy.
As I intimated yesterday, the $5 charge is to offset the cost of making the copy. The reason for the procedure is to ensure that valuable patient records are not lost, as has happened in the past. Often, patients forgot to return X-rays that were taken to doctors. That posed problems later when records were requested for further treatment or sometimes for court cases. Royal Darwin Hospital stores all X-rays for safekeeping. The superintendent of the Radiology Department can and has used discretion, in particular circumstances, in relation to the $5 cost of an X-ray. There is no discrimination in relation to the $5 fee. There has been only one case in which the fee was waived. I have been briefed on that case, and it was quite legitimate.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016