SA Health has launched a ninth investigation into alleged unauthorized access of former Adelaide Crows player Tony Modra's medical records, following his critical injury in a truck crash in June. An audit identified an additional staff member suspected of improperly accessing the AFL legend's patient file, bringing the total number of employees under investigation to nine.
Modra, 57, was hospitalized for 19 days after a falling tree branch smashed through his truck's windshield near Victor Harbor. He underwent extensive facial surgery and is currently recovering at home. SA Health has apologized to the Modra family for any distress caused by the alleged privacy breaches.
"One additional SA Health staff member is under investigation for potential inappropriate access of a patient record, following an audit that identified eight staff members who remain under investigation," SA Health stated. "In total, nine staff members are part of the current investigation, which is ongoing."
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described the allegations as "disappointing" but emphasized that systems are in place to detect such activity. "My message to people who think about doing the wrong thing in SA Health is, just don't take the risk, you are going to get caught and it is not worth it," he said.
SA Health reiterated its commitment to patient privacy, warning that employees found to have improperly accessed records could face disciplinary action, including termination of employment. "Protecting patients and their private clinical information is a matter we take extremely seriously," the department said in a statement. "We have robust policies and processes in place to ensure that staff are accessing appropriate information and we conduct audits to ensure our policies are complied with."
This is not the first high-profile privacy investigation involving SA Health. In 2016, 13 hospital staff were sanctioned for improperly accessing the medical records of Cy Walsh, son of the late Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh. More recently, an investigation found multiple staff had inappropriately accessed the medical records of Charlie Stevens, the late son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. According to reports, over 100 SA Health staff have faced disciplinary action for unauthorized access to patient records since July 2018, with at least seven employees dismissed.