For Sydney grandfather Phil Powell the federal government’s My Health Record is the difference between a loss of privacy or a loss of life.

The digital record keeping system has caused controversy since Australians first learned in May they would have until October 15 to opt out of their record if they didn’t want one.

The My Health Record combines all your medical details into one location, allowing health professionals to access it securely online.

However, one of the major concerns for those opposed to the My Health Record has been around just how secure they are, who can access them and who ultimately controls them.

Under Australian law, police and the tax office can access health records without any warrant.

Everything is online

Almost six million people have signed up for a My Health Record over its six years of operation. Mr Powell, his daughter Kelly and his two-year-old grandson Henry are among them.

“From my point view it’s like a balance. You’ve got privacy concerns on the one hand and you’ve got health concerns on the other,” Mr Powell told nine.com.au.

“Ones maybe a loss of identity, a loss of information but the other is a loss of life.”

For Kelly Powell, she understands the concerns some people might have around security. However, for her, her two-year-old son’s life is paramount. 

“My Centrelink is online, Facebook is online everything is online. If I were so concerned about security I would not do any of that,” she said, as her son wriggled happily in her arms.

“So, to say no to something like the health record that has so many advantages it just wouldn’t occur to me. I just think you have to live in the age that you live in and we’re in the age of technology. It’s not really a concern to me. If it was worried about that I would be too worried to do anything.”

When mistakes happen

It is the Australian Digital Health Agency’s chief medical adviser Professor Meredith Makeham’s view that the My Health Record will limit “our children” from being exposed to danger.

“It just makes it really hard to remember all those details and forgetting these details isn’t just inconveniencing people it is dangerous and dangerous for our children,” she said.

“Because when a healthcare provider doesn’t have access to that secure information to make the next safe clinical decision that’s when mistakes can happen. That’s when our children can be exposed to harm.”

However, while Professor Makeham and the Powells firmly believe in the system not everyone agrees.

The hacking of 1.5 million health details in Singapore last month, including that of the nation’s Prime Minister, has also highlighted the issue of security and health records.

Nigel Phair, Director of the UNSW’s Canberra Cyber told nine.com.au last month that while the site itself might have the latest security, it’s the people using it who could be the problem.

“The real issues come around things like, I go to my GP and there might be two receptionists and five or six doctors. The front desk isn’t always occupied - there might be a post-it note on the screen with log in details which I can look at,” he said.

“Hospitals is the next thing, particularly when you start looking a mobile devices, and lastly phishing where criminals spoof the website and get people to divulge their username and passwords.

“There’s nothing more sensitive in life than your health records.”

Previously the My Health Record system worked on an ‘opt in’ rule, but only a quarter of the population has signed up so the rule has been switched to ‘opt out’.

Around 20,000 Australians have opted out of the My Health Record so far.

“I have zero trust in any government department and don’t see why anyone has the right to create a health record or anything else for that matter without prior approval. I will be opting out,” one Facebook user wrote on the My Health Record’s official Facebook page.

Another Facebook user wrote: “Best part about My Health Record is that I can opt out, and I have.”

Bowing to pressure

Health Minister Greg Hunt has consistently claimed there is no concern around patient privacy. However, just last week he conceded to tightening the system’s security after undertaking talks with the Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Under the changes, the My Health Record Act will be brought into line with the existing Australian Digital Health Agency policy. The change will require a court order to release any My Health Record information without consent, Mr Hunt said in a statement.

"The amendment will ensure no record can be released to police or government agencies, for any purpose, without a court order,” he said.

Mr Hunt also said no documents have been released in more than six years under the Agency's policy and no documents will be released without a court order.

Australian Digital Health Agency chief executive Tim Kelsey told nine.com.au in the six years My Health Record has been operating there have been no security breaches and the agency remains “very vigilant” against any kind of cyberattack.

“The conversation that has gone on over the last few weeks is the community debating a very important set of issues and privacy has to be one of the most important issues of our time given the way in which we live,” he said.

“Other people, the clinical leadership of Australia for example, and the governments of Australia, and many others are very comfortable and actually want these benefits (of My Health Record) to be accelerated because people are currently being put in harms way by the paper based record keeping system in Australia.”

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018