The ChatGPT app is displayed on a phone alongside a medicare card in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 24, 2026. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victorian branch has called on OpenAI and the Victorian and federal governments to explain how they will protect patient health data following a security incident in which an OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to a Medicare statistics portal.
While the doctors’ group noted that no personal information appears to have been accessed, AMA Victoria President Dr Simon Judkins asked, “What happens next time if an AI agent gains access to a system containing sensitive clinical information?”
Judkins said the breach raised serious questions for doctors and patients.
“Confidentiality remains absolutely critical to maintaining a trusted relationship between a doctor and their patient, and increasingly that depends on the security of the digital systems we use every day,” he said.
“Patients and doctors need confidence that unauthorised access will be detected quickly and reported immediately … Why did it take nearly three months for Australian authorities to be notified?”
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It accessed public and non-public files after finding a way around existing blocks. Albanese said no personal information is believed to have been accessed, though official investigations remain ongoing.
OpenAI notified the Australian government on Sept. 10 via an email sent to a public mailbox, according to the prime minister.
Services Australia subsequently reported the breach to the Australian Cyber Security Centre on Sept. 15.
“It took until Sept. 10 before there was any notification,” Albanese said, adding that “there will obviously be legal consequences on it.”
Other Agencies Affected
At the Victorian Department of Health, the company stated that agents used an exposed access key to retrieve aggregate statistics, though medical records were not accessed.
The AMA said that federal investigations are examining the agent’s interactions across multiple government systems.
OpenAI has also committed to having its chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, appear before a Joint Select Committee inquiry in Sydney on Oct. 6.
Mounting Cybersecurity Concerns
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, a former AMA Victoria and federal AMA president, said governments must also consider what safeguards are needed.
“The clear question to ask is whether the Federal and Victorian governments are satisfied that our health systems are adequately protected against unauthorised access by AI?” he said.
“What safeguards are in place for hospital records, My Health Record and electronic prescribing?”
The Epoch Times has sought comment from Services Australia and the Victorian Department of Health.
