Gov't offers more details into response to Fort Simpson health data breach

Individuals impacted by a recent health-information breach that led to several documents being found in a Fort Simpson dumpshould expect to start receiving letters late next week, according to a spokesperson for the territory's health authority.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) sent additional details on itsresponse to the breach Thursday afternoon to CBC News. Earlier this week, the authoritysaid 134 impacted individuals were to be notified.

• N.W.T. gov't to notify 134 whose health records were found at Fort Simpson dump

In an email, spokespersonDavid Maguire said the letters were to be sent out by the end of the day on Thursday, though it may take some time to locate the impacted individuals.

"Some of these files date back almost 30 years," he said."While we will send all notification to individuals for whom we can confirm addresses immediately, there may be some individuals whose notification takes longer as we will need to do some work to track down and confirm their current locations."

Maguire saidthe authority chose to notify impacted individuals byletter in order to "clearly and consistently communicate" with those involved and registered mail isthe best option to to do that.

Gov't taking steps to minimize further impact

The records, found by resident RandalSibbeston,contain 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.

CBC Northfirst reported the breach last weekafter being contacted by Sibbeston. The fileshave since been handed over to the N.W.T.'s privacy commissioner.

• Hundreds of N.W.T. health records found at Fort Simpson dump
• N.W.T. privacy commissioner to investigate 'major breach' of health data found at dump
• Health records found at dump now in hands of N.W.T. privacy commissioner

On Wednesday, the authority announced it was undertaking an investigation into root causes and accountability in the breach, as well as determining who was responsible for mental health and addictions programming when the documents were created.

Maguire offered more details Thursday, saying the documents appear to be from a time period between 1990 and 2005, "with most files being from the 1990s."

He said two people will take on the review of the files.