My Health Record changes to improve access to test results

Australians will soon have better and faster access to key health information through My Health Record, with changes being rolled out to make more pathology and diagnostic imaging reports available in one place.

These reforms are designed to help consumers and healthcare providers access important information sooner, support more informed decision-making, and improve connected care across different services and settings.

At the moment, not all pathology and imaging reports are uploaded to My Health Record, which can make it harder to build a complete picture of a person’s health, particularly when care is provided by multiple clinicians or services. From 1 July 2026, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers will generally be required to upload eligible reports to My Health Record by default, with some exceptions and a transition period to support providers as the changes come into effect.

These changes are already improving how quickly consumers can view some results. Most pathology reports, such as blood and urine tests, are now available in My Health Record or the 1800MEDICARE app as soon as they are uploaded. Some report types, including anatomical pathology, cytopathology and genetic testing, are available after a 5-day delay, reduced from the previous 7-day delay.

Access to imaging reports is also improving. X-ray reports for limbs, including arms and legs, can be viewed as soon as they are uploaded. Other imaging reports, including CT, MRI and PET scans, mammograms and ultrasounds, are available after a 5-day delay, also reduced from 7 days. Where a report includes multiple results with different access timeframes, the 5-day delay applies to the whole report.

The Australian Government says the reforms are intended to empower consumers to take a more active role in their healthcare, while also helping healthcare providers coordinate care, reduce unnecessary duplicate testing, and make safer clinical decisions with more complete information. Privacy settings and consumer controls within My Health Record are not changing, and people can still ask for a report not to be uploaded or remove documents from their record later if they choose.

For people across the Murrumbidgee, these updates are expected to make it easier to keep track of test results and share important health information between healthcare providers, particularly when receiving care across different towns, services or settings.