Some Canberra Health Services (CHS) patients' records have been emailed to people outside of the organisation, in what has been described as a "serious breach of privacy".
In an all-staff email, CHS chief executive Dave Peffer said the records had been sent by a small number of staff to multiple people within of one its industrial partners.
He said whole mental health clinical records of 13 patients had been "deliberately" emailed to individuals outside the organisation over a period of years.
"In recent weeks we've discovered a serious breach in the privacy of patients health records within one of our teams, extending back some time," he said in the email.
"Records that should never have been shared outside the organisation, without the express consent of our patients.
"Trust was on the line and we've let these patients down."
He said the breach was not accidental.
"Often our patients are at their most vulnerable when in our care," he said.
"The confidence our patients have to share their most private information with us, helps us to treat and care for them. All of that relies on trust."
He said CHS would have some "rebuilding to do" following the disclosure.
ACT Mental Health Minister Emma Davidson said the revelation was "distressing".
"But we do have policies and procedures about what to do when a breach like this happens, and it has been referred to the police who are conducting an investigation," she said.
"We're talking about a relatively small number of people involved.
"The vast majority of staff doing all the right things in terms of making sure that they are following all the correct procedures."
She said she could not reveal whether the staff members involved were still working within Canberra Health Services because the matter was now subject to a police investigation.
On ABC Radio Canberra, Ms Davidson was asked what Mr Peffer meant by an "industry partner".
"It was not a health fund," she said.
"That is actually the subject of a police investigation, but I know that CHS have done everything they can to make sure that we're protecting patient privacy and that this can't continue to happen."
Opposition demands explanation
In learning of the breach, the Canberra Liberals' spokeswoman for health Leanne Castley said patients deserved better.
"They're vulnerable. They're giving over their data, their details, their very private, personal information," she said.
"There are very big problems within CHS."
Ms Castley said the opposition would be asking questions of ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith later today.
"To explain what's going on, and how she can ensure Canberrans that they can actually have confidence in their data being safely stored with Canberra Health Services."
The breach has been referred to the police and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
