The Australian Digital Health Agency, which administers the scheme, said in a statement that records would be created after 31 January 2019 for every Australian who wanted one.

But these records could be permanently deleted at any time, it added.

The government had initially set a date of 15 November for Australians to indicate that they wanted to opt out of the scheme.

The ADHA said the new changes included the following:

• Allow Australians to permanently delete their records, and any backups, at any time.
• Explicitly prohibit access to My Health Records by insurers and employers.
• Provide greater privacy for teenagers 14 years and over.
• Strengthen existing protections for people at risk of family and domestic violence.
• Clarify that only the ADHA, the Department of Health and the chief executive of Medicare (and no other government agency) can access the My Health Record system.
• Explicitly require law enforcement and other agencies to produce a court order to access information in My Health Records.
• Make clear that the system cannot be privatised or used for commercial purposes.