Premier promises legislative changes to address concerns about youth health information
Premier Tony Wakeham issued a statement Thursday saying the province will introduce legislation in the fall to deal with concerns about access to youth health records as part of the rollout of the new health information system, CorCare.
“Over the last 48 hours, it has become clear that there is significant confusion and concern regarding parental access to their children’s medical records following the rollout of the new healthcare information system (CorCare),” Wakeaham said.
“I want to be categorical: Parents are the primary protectors of their children. Our government believes that parents or guardians should always have the right to access their children’s healthcare information.
“While the current laws and policies have been in existence for decades, the implementation of the new digital health platform has exposed a fundamental misalignment between existing statutes and the expectations of families in this province. We did not create this policy, but we are going to fix it.
“The Minister of Health and Community Services recognizes that the current policy being implemented through CorCare and MyChart may create barriers for parents seeking the information they need to protect and care for their children. Digitization now shines a spotlight on this policy. Our government will immediately review the Personal Health Information Act and other relevant legislation. Following consultations, we will introduce legislative changes this fall to ensure that parental access to their children’s medical records is protected in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“We recognize there are complex cases involving child safety, and our legal system already has robust protections in place for those specific instances. However, we can’t allow a policy of ‘secrecy by default’ to stand between parents and the health of their children.
“We have heard clearly from families across the province, and we will ensure the law supports parents and guardians while protecting the best interests of children and youth.”
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