Another recent privacy breach at a hospital in Atlantic Canada has been disclosed by a provincial health authority.
Health PEI has issued a release concerning the inappropriate access of sensitive personal health information over a three-year period at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. In the release, Health PEI says that the member of staff, who is no longer employed at the QEH, breached the privacy of approximately 353 patients by inappropriately accessing their medical files.
Numerous types of data were accessed including records from the ER department, lab test results, patient admissions and type of medications and dosages given to patients. After conducting an audit, further instances of the transgressions of the employee came to light. Once confronted with the evidence that inappropriate accesses were made, the employee was terminated from her position.
A representative from Health PEI has advised that all 353 patients who had their privacy breached are being contacted about the situation. In addition, both the Charlottetown Police and the provincial privacy commissioner for Prince Edward Island have been advised about the incidents.
Wagners has experience settling cases of patients whose private medical records were inappropriately accessed.
If you have been affected by the privacy breach at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown we invite you to contact Wagners for legal assistance.