Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
January 20, 2017

Investigation Results in Charges under the Personal Health Information Act – Released

Information and Privacy Commissioner Donovan Molloy, Q.C. announced today that an individual has been charged with an offence pursuant to section 88(1)(a) of the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA). The charge results from an investigation conducted by staff of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner stemming from complaints received in 2016. The individual charged is a former employee of Eastern Health and is alleged to have improperly accessed the personal health information of a number of patients.

The Commissioner was informed by Eastern Health of the privacy breaches when they were discovered. In compliance with PHIA, the Regional Health Authority notified patients whose information they believed had been improperly accessed. As a result of these notifications, the Commissioner received complaints.

The first appearance on the matter is set for Friday, February 17, 2017, at Provincial Court in St. John’s.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Personal Health Information Act establishes how personal health information is to be handled. It protects privacy of personal health information as well as the rights of individual citizens to access their own information.

The Commissioner’s role is to oversee both ATIPPA and PHIA, to try to ensure that associated requirements are being adhered to, and to investigate complaints from citizens who believe the laws are not being followed.

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Media contact:

Donovan Molloy, Q.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner 709-729-6309

2017 01 20                              10:35 a.m.