Answers on N.W.T. dump breach to take months due to privacy breach backlog

A backlog within the N.W.T Information and Privacy Commissioner's office means the public will have to wait several more months before finding out how more than 130 confidential medical records ended up at the dump in Fort Simpson, N.W.T.

A local resident, Randal Sibbeston, found the records in the dump's salvage area in the fall of 2018. They contained detailed information about patients' mental health and history of drug use, including applications to addictions treatment facilities, progress reports from those facilities, and detailed notes from one-on-one counselling sessions.

The files also included social insurance, treaty and health card numbers.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority says it's concluded its investigation into what happened and has sent its findings to privacy commissioner Elaine Keenan Bengts.

Keenan Bengts will now review the authority's investigation and will use it to write a final report on the breach. In December, Keenan Bengts told CBC she expected the whole process to take six months.

But, when asked for an update on when the final report will be released,  the commissioner's office said Keenan Bengts is facing a backlog of privacy breaches and won't be able to begin writing the report for several months.

The office could not provide an estimated time frame. 

Gov't refuses to say how many people notified

Internal emails obtained by CBC through an access to information request show the health authority struggled to contact all 132 people affected by the breach.

In January, a month after the breach was brought to the authority's attention, it had only been able to send letters to 69 of the people whose information was found at the dump.

Ten of the people whose records were found are deceased.

CBC asked the health authority for more information on how many people it's notified. The authority has refused to provide that information.