(File photo/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Health privacy breach investigation

Privacy commissioner makes several recommendations following theft of van full of health samples

Dec 4, 2023 | 2:00 PM

An investigation into the loss of health information this summer after a van full of lab samples was stolen in Prince Albert has resulted in several changes being recommended.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner released a report last week detailing its investigation after a Warren’s Parcel Express courier was stolen on June 7 of this year.

The commissioner found several areas that needed improvement.

The van was taken from within the courier’s shop yard and had been left running for temperature control and was unlocked because the driver was going back and forth, unloading 15 totes of samples.

The van had already picked up totes of lab samples and requisitions from the Prince Albert Co-operative Health Centre and then picked up more samples from the lab at the Victoria Hospital that included blood and pathology samples.

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The samples were from patients from La Ronge, Prince Albert, Shellbrook, Big River and Spiritwood but also included samples from the correctional facility along with a private company.

Both organizations immediately notified the privacy commissioner’s office, which launched an investigation into whether they handled the breach properly.

The samples were recovered about two weeks after they were taken but some of the totes were missing their security tags.

A second issue was the inability of either the SHA or the health centre to be able to show a service agreement with the courier company, which has been providing the service for over three decades.

In the months following the theft, the SHA started working with Warren to create a digital tote tracking system and improve documentation.

One of the key recommendations is that the SHA include in all contracts with couriers that vans be kept locked and not running when unattended.

Another change is that samples are now held overnight at the Victoria Hospital instead of being held by the courier.

The health centre is making similar changes.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com