It’s a great idea and I will certainly share that information with the department and ask them to ensure that we have mechanisms to ensure that our patients are adequately informed about their privacy rights and their information rights, and to encourage them to include people who should be involved or be aware of their files, particularly family.

This will be a lot easier moving forward with one system as opposed to multiple systems, and this is the type of conversation I know that the professional staff that we have working on amalgamation have been having.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the health care system, privacy and privacy rights is an incredibly important factor in providing services, and effective today we have the Health Information Act that actually guides our ability to share information. It indicates when we can share the information and also indicates when we can’t share information. Prior to today we were bound by ATIPP.

So, when it comes to health privacy and those types of concerns, I would strongly encourage you and I would strongly encourage all Members to make sure that when individuals are in the health care system, they are very...

We do have to write some policies; we do have to make sure that we have the ability to provide the actual physical hearing aids. I will get more information for the Member. I will get back to you on when we anticipate to go live. Thank you.

Because we have such a small population here in the Northwest Territories and everybody who’s going to need a hearing aid does have to go through the audiology unit at the Stanton Medical Clinic, we know the individuals who are going to be coming through and how many children are going to be affected. It’s been a very small number over the last number of years. We anticipate that the cost in 2012 was around $22,000. The technology prices haven’t radically changed. We believe it’s going to be about the same amount of money. But as I said, once I have more details I will absolutely be sharing it...

The external review will help us identify exactly what was known and when. The department was not aware of this particular situation until August 6th. I have had a couple briefings on this particular issue with staff from Stanton and staff from the department and there have been some rumblings out there. In fact, I understand that there were some issues between Yellowknife Health and Social Services and Stanton, but when they reviewed those they thought those were an internal issue and didn’t realize the territorial scope of this problem until August 6th. At that time, and I just want to...

When it comes to patient safety and patient care, we will defer to the medical practice on ensuring that the situation is dealt with. At present, when situations like this occur, the first thing that must happen is to stop the problem from continuing, to remove all opportunities for harm. That was done in this particular case. The second step is to follow up with the individuals who may have been impacted, which was also done in this case. At that point we would move forward with some notification to the public, once we understand the magnitude, scope, and the residents have in fact been dealt...

I know that with the new proposed Mental Health Act we actually have that provision in the legislation to designate an alternative decision-maker. As far as patients not covered under the Mental Health Act or the future Mental Health Act, I’m not actually sure, but I will check and I will get back to the Member.

Prior to the actual implementation and the go-live date of the Health Information Act, and recognizing that we have eight health authorities here in the Northwest Territories who have all of their own operational procedures and protocols within the institutions, I can’t say for sure that there was one policy for all authorities.

Moving forward with the system transformation, we will be able to have consistent standards that are clearly articulated and informed by the Health Information Act moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. They probably just heard with the Member’s comments and my commitment to making this happen, but I will have the department work with Stanton and the Stanton Clinic to ensure that the practitioners know that we’re working on this and that the solution is on its way. Thank you.