Telstra wins contract for Australian cancer screening register

 26-May-16, ABC 

Telstra has been awarded a lucrative Federal Government contract to build and operate a National Cancer Screening Register, but health and privacy experts are concerned about the security of the data.

Image: Joel Carrett

Under the $220 million five year contract, Telstra Health — the telco's health arm — will modernise and nationalise screening for cervical and bowel cancer. Until now, cervical cancer screening has been run by eight separate state and territory-based registers, and screening for bowel cancer has been run by one central body but mostly relied on postal reminders.

Managing director of Telstra Health Shane Solomon said that the organisation would be using four recently acquired health businesses to build and administer the register.

Health, privacy and technology experts have expressed concerns about the security of the health data, and questioned the necessity of the register. David Vaile, Executive Director of the University of New South Wales Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre, has concerns about Telstra being put in charge of this data, as opposed to existing health bodies.

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