The man would not have contracted the virus if the centre's administration staff had updated his then-partner's contact details and sent a recall letter to her current address, Justice Megan Latham said in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday.

Two doctors who worked at the Bondi Junction Medical and Dental Centre, Harry Johnson and Colin Gross, admitted liability in July 2009 and agreed to pay the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, $745,000 plus $197,500 in court costs.

The two GPs subsequently filed a claim against Primary Health Care's company Idameneo, seeking a contribution towards the damages, arguing reception staff were negligent in failing to maintain proper patient records.

Justice Latham ruled yesterday that Idameneo should pay 40 per cent, finding both the reception and in-house pathology staff failed to follow the company's policy and procedures manual, and check the patient's address and phone number.

The case is likely to fuel the debate over seven-day medical centres that endeavour to act merely as ''landlords'' providing back-office support to contracted doctors, while retaining control over patients' medical records.

In March 2004 the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, consulted Dr Anna Biedrzycka, who ordered a HIV test. The result was inconclusive but the recall letter for urgent retesting was sent to her old address, which she had given on visit to the medical centre in 1999.

When the woman returned three weeks later, Dr Biedrzycka was not available and she saw Dr Gross, who called up her records on his computer. He did not read a note made by the centre's medical director, Dr Johnson, that she needed a repeat blood test, and gave her the all-clear for HIV. About a week later she had unprotected sex with the man and infected him with the disease.

She told the court that had she been aware that she had recorded an equivocal HIV test, she would have urgently returned and ensured she did not have unprotected sex. But it was not until June 3 that Dr Johnson tracked her down and she was told of the need for another test.

The doctors said that under their contract with Primary, it was the responsibility of administrative and pathology staff to check a patient's contact details.

Primary, a publicly listed company founded by Edmund Bateman, is one of two big companies in the country's seven-day medical centre and pathology market.

Justice Latham rejected its argument that it did not have a duty of care to the man, and also dismissed a cross-claim against all three doctors seeking indemnity under the service agreement between it and each of them.

Before yesterday's judgment was handed down, the woman said patients were the victims of corporatised medicine.

''As patients, we appear to be at the mercy of individuals and corporations who [are] blindly and fearfully under pressure to 'achieve' a target, a deadline, a salary package, a position; to efficiently 'get on with their job'. Yet efficiency without a heart comes at a very big price,'' she said.

Justice Latham will hear submissions on costs and a possible stay at a later date.