A doctor who disclosed a man’s “delusional” medical history in a discussion about Islamic faith has been ordered to pay $10,000 compensation following a privacy invasion ruling. The man had abandoned the religion and claimed the doctor maliciously emailed sensitive, inaccurate information to others to persuade his community a serious illness was the reason he renounced. The pair, who had known each other and attended religious services for years, can’t be named. Acting Australian Information Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim recently ruled there was no evidence of malicious intent, as alleged, or of a dishonest “delusional depression” diagnosis for a prior illness. However, the GP should not have divulged medical information to the third parties without consent. The detail was sent in an email last January to the man and six other people, including his sons and friends, in response to his request for answers to religious questions. The commissioner ordered him to pay damages for the distress and injured feelings the privacy invasion caused.
