Queensland Consolidated Acts

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2016 - SECT 783

783 Disclosure of particular information relating to classified patient

(1) This section applies if the chief psychiatrist considers a person is, or may be, any of the following—

(a) a victim of an unlawful act committed by a person who is a classified patient;

(b) a close relative of a victim mentioned in paragraph (a) ;

(c) another individual who has suffered harm because of an unlawful act mentioned in paragraph (a) .

(2) The chief psychiatrist may disclose the following personal information about the classified patient to the person—

(a) the fact that the patient is a classified patient in an authorised mental health service;

(b) the fact, and the date, of a transfer of the patient to another authorised mental health service;

(c) the fact that the patient has become a patient required to return, if the chief psychiatrist considers the information is relevant to the safety and welfare of the person;

(d) if the patient stops being a classified patient—the fact that, and the reasons why, the patient has stopped being a classified patient.

(3) The chief psychiatrist may enter into arrangements with a victim support service to enable the service, on behalf of the chief psychiatrist, to give the information to the person.

(4) The person must give a written undertaking to preserve the confidentiality of the information.

(5) The person must not contravene the undertaking.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty for subsection (5) —200 penalty units.