The Canberra Liberals have welcomed the expansion of ACT digital health records to more GPs while calling on the government to answer questions over the management of a contract underpinning the system.

The criticism follows the release on Tuesday of a Legislative Assembly Public Accounts and Administration Committee report into the Auditor-General’s 2024 audit of invoicing and payments for Digital Health Record hosting services. The committee inquiry was completed on September 29.

The original Auditor-General’s audit examined ACT Health’s management of payments to NTT Australia, which provides hosting services for the Digital Health Record. The NTT contract began at $66 million and, after two variations, increased to $110 million.

Canberra Liberals Leader and Shadow Health Minister Mark Parton says the findings raise questions about management of the contracts behind the Digital Health Record.

The Liberals say more than $16 million in consumption-based payments lacked reasonable assurance that the services paid for had been received or charged at the correct price.

The Auditor-General also identified instances where invoices were paid for services provided more than three months earlier, despite the contract stating the territory was not obliged to pay invoices submitted that late, finding this weakened ACT Health’s financial control and management of the deal.

“The government is spruiking a belated rollout while ignoring yesterday’s findings on the contracts behind the system,” Mr Parton says.

“This is not about whether DHR Link should expand. It is about whether ACT Labor can manage the contracts that make it possible.”

More Canberra GPs link to public health records

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