Find gaps and duplicates in a Victorian treatment-record set
MaintainedLast reviewed
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From records the firm is allowed to use, build a provider-and-date coverage table, mark apparent duplicates, and list gaps for follow-up. A gap is not proof that treatment or symptoms were absent.
- What the lawyer must review
- Check the table against the originals
- Do not treat a missing record as proof of no treatment
- Keep the records in a closed tool
Rules that apply
The document starts from the task name. Change it if this piece of work is different.
The work product
Forum. Victoria: a plaintiff file, before a Medical Panel referral or a court bundle
Produce. A coverage table and a follow-up list.
Have ready. The record set and its index; Authorities to obtain records; Any panel or court date.
Example of the limit. Illustrative example: Hospital pages for March are missing. The table lists the gap and the provider. It does not say the person had no treatment in March. The lawyer decides whether to request those pages.
Stop and hand it back when
- The table is being used to prove that a symptom was absent.
- A row cannot be opened in the source set.
Sources for this task were checked on 2026-10-23.
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | From records the firm is allowed to use, build a provider-and-date coverage table, mark apparent duplicates, and list gaps for follow-up. A gap is not proof that treatment or symptoms were absent. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Confirm authority to use the records. The Health Records Act 2001 is in force as version 050, effective 1 May 2026.
- Match each row to a source page. Separate the consultation date, the report date and the date of any event the report describes.
- Check an apparent duplicate for a different page, version or provider before it is dropped.
- Do not enter the records into a public tool. The County Court practice note and Practice Note SC GEN 25 forbid that for confidential or sensitive information.
Forms and precedents for this task
| Form or precedent | Kind | AI use | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of information request for a patient's own health records | Letter | AI use Yellow | A written request under section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) for a patient's own health records held by a public sector agency, sent after an informal release request. |
| Right to information application for a patient's own hospital records | Letter | AI use Yellow | A Queensland application for a patient's own public-hospital health records, using the hospital's administrative scheme first and a Right to Information application if a formal application is required. |
| Access application for health information under the GIPA Act | Letter | AI use Yellow | An access application under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) for health information, used when the health service's own health-records process does not cover the request. |
| Authority for a treating practitioner to release clinical records | Form | AI use Yellow | Signed authority for one treating practitioner to release named clinical records for a named period, with a separate tick for counselling or mental-health records and a short covering letter. |
| Client authority and records request pack for a personal injury claim | Form | AI use Yellow | Signed client authority plus a schedule of record requests for a personal injury claim (treating doctors, hospitals, ambulance, employer and payroll, Medicare and Centrelink, insurers), with a tracking table so gaps in the record set are visible early. |
| AI use policy for health information | Policy | AI use Yellow | Firm rule for health information in plaintiff injury work: it stays in a firm-controlled tool, and public tools are not used. |
| Authority for a hospital to release treatment records | Form | AI use Yellow | Signed authority for one hospital to release the emergency, inpatient, outpatient and imaging records of named attendances, plus a letter asking the hospital which access path and fee it requires. |
| Checklist for buying a medical-chronology tool | Checklist | AI use Yellow | Checks before a plaintiff firm approves a tool that will receive medical records: contract, training, security, a privacy impact assessment, and the court conditions for restricted material. |
| UCPR Form 26A: subpoena to produce, with notice and declaration | Form | AI use Red | Link to UCPR Form 26A version 5, a subpoena to produce with the recipient's notice and declaration about copies and original documents. |
| WorkSafe Form D, authority to release medical information: completion guide | Form | AI use Yellow | Link to WorkSafe Form D, the signed authority and consent to release medical information that accompanies a common law damages application. |
Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one. All precedents.
Sources
- Health Records Act 2001, in force version 050 (effective 1 May 2026) · 2026-10-23
- County Court of Victoria: Use of Artificial Intelligence by Court Users Practice Note · 2026-10-23
- Medical Panels Victoria · 2026-10-23
Medical Panels Victoria answers medical questions on a workers compensation referral or a Wrongs Act referral. A gap list is not a question for a panel.
If the table is later annexed to a court document, the lawyer verifies it under the court practice note that applies.