It is completely unacceptable that patient information was shared on social media. This is a serious breach of trust and a betrayal that should never have happened. We sincerely apologise to the patients affected and their families for the distress and concern this has caused.
NT Health acted immediately after being notified that an internationally trained medical observer undertaking a placement at Royal Darwin Hospital had posted patient details on social media.
The observer's placement lasted for two days - from October 12 to October 14, 2026.
The individual's placement was terminated immediately, and the matter has been referred to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
The post has been removed, and NT Health has contacted all five affected patients directly to explain what occurred, apologise and offer support.
The Government and NT Health take this breach extremely seriously. An immediate investigation was undertaken, including a review of the approval processes for medical observer placements. Where standards have fallen short, action will be taken.
We are strengthening safeguards to ensure this does not happen again. More stringent background checks will be introduced for medical observers and others undertaking placements in NT Health hospitals. Placement agreements will be strengthened, requiring participants to sign non-disclosure agreements and legally binding confidentiality agreements.
Induction processes will also be strengthened to ensure every participant fully understands their privacy and confidentiality obligations, with appropriate measures to address any language barriers.
I will look at this review and see what further protections can be added to ensure it never happens again.
Every Territorian has the right to expect their personal health information will remain private. There is no excuse for a breach of that trust. While this incident was the result of one individual's actions and does not reflect the broader NT Health workforce, we are determined to strengthen our safeguards and ensure patient privacy remains paramount across our health system.
