Healthcare workers privacy breach: 198 patient records

Two Victoria healthcare workers are under investigation for allegedly accessing the electronic health records of 198 Vancouver Island residents who were not under their care.

The privacy breach was uncovered during a routine audit of the system, according to a statement issued by Island Health.

"Steps were taken immediately to ensure the employees' access to personal or confidential information was revoked and the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) was notified," said the statement.

The health authority has issued an apology and said it is notifying patients.

"It is unacceptable to Island Health when our employees use their access privileges to snoop in patients' records," said the statement.

"This includes unauthorized reading of a patient's chart and accessing information on yourself, children, family, friends or co-workers when the employee does not need to see or know that information to do their job."

The two people involved no longer work for Island Health, but privacy legislation prevents officials from saying if any disciplinary action was taken.