3 charged after records inappropriately accessed at Ontario hospitals: police

Three people have been charged after records were accessed inappropriately at several hospitals across the province, OPP said Thursday.

Police say they began to investigate three incidents, which were not connected to each other, after being notified that employees at the hospitals had accessed information that was either not part of their care or after their role in the patient’s care was complete or more than was reasonably required to complete their duties.

“The inappropriate accesses occurred over three distinct time periods, as they were part of three separate investigations,” Acting Det. Sgt. Rob Brigden told Global News in an email.

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“The first access began in August 2019 and the final access occurred in October 2021.”

Police would not say which were the hospitals where the data breaches occurred only noting that they had happened at hospitals in western, eastern and northern parts of the province.

“Unfortunately we are unable to name the accused persons or the hospitals,” Brigden explained.

“Investigations involving personal health information are highly sensitive and require a thorough, evidence-based approach to ensure they stand up in court.

“To protect the integrity of the investigation and any legal proceedings, the OPP cannot share specific details or identify individuals involved.”

Police said the three individuals are facing charges under the Personal Health Information Protection Act and could be fined $200,000 or a prison term of up to a year.

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