Privacy notice

The Department of Health is subject to the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act.

The Department of Health is mandated to plan, fund and monitor the health care system in New Brunswick. The Department collects, uses, and discloses the personal information of individuals who use the provincial health care system, as permitted by law, to fulfill this role.

This privacy notice describes generally:

• the department’s information practices
• your rights with respect to the information we collect
• who to contact for more information or to file a complaint

Both personal information and personal health information are covered by the terms of this notice, which uses the term “personal information” to include both. 

Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

On September 1, 2010, the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act came into force. This law sets out the rules that “public bodies” must follow when collecting, using and disclosing personal information. It establishes a general right to access public records held by a public body, as well as a right for individuals to access their own personal information.

For more information, visit Right to Information and Protection of Privacy. 

Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act

On September 1, 2010, the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act came into force. This law sets out the rules that “custodians”, “agents and information managers" must follow when collecting, using and disclosing personal health information and provides individuals with the right to request access to and correction of records containing their own information.

For more information about your privacy and access rights, visit Privacy and Access. 

The department collects your personal information directly from you (such as when you apply for Medicare benefits) and indirectly from health partners (such as the regional health authorities), as permitted by law. We collect only what is necessary for the purposes of the collection, as described below. 

The department uses and discloses personal information as permitted by law to:

• process and verify claims for payment of publicly-funded health care services (e.g., Medicare)
• determine a person’s eligibility to participate in publicly-funded health care programs or to receive a benefit or service (e.g., the Colon and Cervical Cancer Screening Programs)
• plan, monitor and evaluate programs funded by the Department (e.g., Profiles on Health publications or assessing Surgical Wait Times)
• undertake specific activities as permitted or required by law (e.g., to comply with a court order)
• manage public health risks (e.g., to monitor an outbreak of influenza)
• plan and deliver health services (e.g. Tele-Care 811)
• administer a designated information network (e.g., the Electronic Health Record)
• maintain a health care registry (e.g., the New Brunswick Cancer Registry)
• support research and open government (e.g., by disclosing information to a researcher or research data centre), including transforming direct identifiers (Medicare number, name, date of birth, etc) in a secure environment, to make datasets linkable
• engage agents and information managers for program delivery and information management services, including centralization of services (e.g., Medavie Blue Cross and Service New Brunswick)
• deliver an integrated program or service (e.g., the integrated service delivery initiative for children and youth needing mental health and addictions services)
• fulfill other purposes, as permitted or required by law (e.g., disclosure to Statistics Canada)

The department has implemented physical, administrative and technological safeguards to protect the personal information in our custody and to control against theft, loss and unauthorized access, use or disclosure. These protections include but are not limited to:

• establishing policies and ensuring that employees are aware of these policies
• limiting access to personal information to only those who have a need to know to perform the duties of their employment
• protecting electronic systems and devices
• implementing firewalls and encryption
• using security features when transferring information electronically
• using locked filing cabinets and maintaining secure premises
• maintaining retention schedules and ensuring that, when personal information is no longer needed, it is securely destroyed or de-identified

You have the right to request access to any public record including records containing your personal information. In the case of personal health information, you also have the right to request a correction of your information if you believe a record is inaccurate or incomplete, and to complain if you believe your access or correction rights have been violated.  

If you would like to request access to or correction of a record, please contact the appropriate program or the department’s designated contact person listed below. 

Department’s designated contact

If you have a question about how the department collects, uses or discloses your personal information, please contact the Department of Health’s Corporate Privacy Office:

Mail: P.O. Box 5100, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5G8
Telephone: 506-457-4800
Fax: 506-444-5236 
Email: [email protected]
Website

If you have a general complaint about the department’s information practices or difficulties in accessing your personal information in our care, please contact the department’s Corporate Privacy Office at the email address below, and we will work with you to try and address your concern.

Email: [email protected]

In June 2019, amendments to New Brunswick legislation transferred the responsibility for the access and privacy mandates from the Office of the Integrity Commissioner to the Office of the Ombud for New Brunswick.

In certain circumstances, you may also file a privacy complaint with the Office of the Ombud for New Brunswick. For more information, the Access and Privacy Division may be contacted at:

Mail: 230-65 Regent Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 7H8
Telephone: 1-506-453-5965
Toll-free: 1-877-755-2811
Email: [email protected] 
Website

Finally, in certain circumstances, you may file a complaint with the Court of King’s Bench.