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Global News
13 hours ago
- Health
- Global News
Ontario health agency reports major data breach to watchdog without notifying patients
Government and privacy officials are investigating a potential data breach involving the health data of hundreds of thousands of patients who have not yet been notified about an incident in the spring. On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Sylvia Jones and the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) all appeared to confirm that the data of patients using the Ontario Health atHome service may have been breached. In a letter to Ontario Liberal MPP Adil Shamji, who first flagged the potential cyber attack, the IPC suggested he was correct when he said the incident occurred more than three months ago in March. The IPC commissioner confirmed to Shamji that a report had been filed 'that aligns with the circumstances and date described in your letter.' Shamji had said the breach happened on or around March 17 and involved 200,000 patients. Story continues below advertisement A spokesperson for the IPC told Global News the watchdog had received reports of a breach from Ontario Health atHome — which did not report it until the end of May. The government didn't confirm the breach until June 27, after questions at an unrelated news conference. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Ontario Health atHome notified our office of a privacy breach on May 30, 2025,' the spokesperson wrote. 'At this stage, we are reviewing the circumstances of the incident and cannot share further details at this time.' Jones said the public agency responsible was investigating. 'Ontario Health is absolutely investigating right now,' she said. 'We have a division that focuses on any potential cyber breach, and as is standing operating (procedure) Ontario Health and Ontario Health atHome will notify if there has been any form of breach to individual patients, but that investigation is going on right now.' With the breach potentially occurring in March and the IPC notified last month, it is unclear why patients potentially involved have not yet been notified. Shamji said they should have been notified long ago. 'I fundamental tenet of a breach of this nature — especially involving so many people — is to immediately notify those individuals,' he said. 'They need to know that their personal information may be compromised and that they need to be monitoring things like credit scores.' Story continues below advertisement Ford appeared to suggest his office had not been informed, despite Ontario Health atHome telling the IPC about the breach a month earlier. 'We'll find out where the gap is and why it wasn't brought to our attention a lot earlier, but we're glad the investigation is happening,' Ford said on Friday. Global News sent questions to Ontario Health but did not receive a response ahead of publication. The potential data breach is the latest issue in a difficult period for Ontario Health atHome, a rebranded and consolidated agency launched by the Ford government. Supply shortages in the fall left more than 350 people receiving home and palliative care across the province without the medication or equipment they needed. Delays in delivering supplies came after the government signed new contracts with private vendors for Ontario Health. As a result of the delays, the province had to refund $219,000 to people forced to buy their own medical supplies. Shamji said the data breach was evidence of an agency which couldn't function properly. 'Ontario Health atHome has been in disarray for months,' he said. 'First with medication shortages and then with supply shortages, then with massive delays in care and now with the protection of personal health information. They've failed on all those things.'
Hamilton Spectator
13 hours ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario investigating alleged data breach of 200,000 home care patients' info
TORONTO - Ontario is investigating an alleged breach of 200,000 home care patients' personal health data, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Friday. Liberal health critic Adil Shamji said he has unearthed information that an Ontario Health atHome data breach affecting at least 200,000 patients occurred in mid-March and was never disclosed to the public. 'I remain significantly, significantly concerned that there is an urgent, clear and present risk to Ontario home care patients that deserve to know that sensitive personal health information has been compromised of theirs and specifically has not been disclosed,' Shamji said. He did not reveal how he knows about the alleged breach, but has asked the information and privacy commissioner to investigate. Ontario Health atHome is responsible for co-ordinating in-home and community-based care. Shamji said about one-third of all home care patients in the province have been affected. He wrote to Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Patricia Kosseim last week and again on Friday outlining his concerns. Kosseim wrote back to Shamji on Friday, saying her office is looking into the matter. 'I can confirm the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has received a report of a privacy breach that aligns with the circumstances and date described in your letter,' Kosseim wrote. The province says Ontario Health atHome is investigating one particular vendor that held that data and whether private information was taken. 'Ontario Health and Ontario Health atHome will notify if there has been any form of breach to individual patients,' Jones said. Premier Doug Ford said the province will get to the bottom of it. 'We will find out where the gap is and why it wasn't brought to our attention a lot earlier,' he said. Ford said the matter is personal to him, after his and his brother Rob Ford's medical information was breached in 2014. 'Anyone who breaches health-care records needs to be fired immediately,' Ford said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Sun
14 hours ago
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Ontario probes alleged data breach of 200,000 home care patients' info
Liberals say a breach affecting at least 200,000 patients occurred in mid-March and was never disclosed to the public Published Jun 27, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 1 minute read Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones. Photo by Postmedia files Ontario is investigating an alleged breach of 200,000 home care patients' personal health data, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Friday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Liberal health critic Adil Shamji said he has unearthed information that an Ontario Health atHome data breach affecting at least 200,000 patients occurred in mid-March and was never disclosed to the public. 'I remain significantly, significantly concerned that there is an urgent, clear and present risk to Ontario home care patients that deserve to know that sensitive personal health information has been compromised of theirs and specifically has not been disclosed,' Shamji said. He did not reveal how he knows about the alleged breach, but has asked the information and privacy commissioner to investigate. Ontario Health atHome is responsible for co-ordinating in-home and community-based care. Shamji said about one-third of all home care patients in the province have been affected. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He wrote to Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Patricia Kosseim last week and again on Friday outlining his concerns. Kosseim wrote back to Shamji on Friday, saying her office is looking into the matter. 'I can confirm the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has received a report of a privacy breach that aligns with the circumstances and date described in your letter,' Kosseim wrote. The province says Ontario Health atHome is investigating one particular vendor that held that data and whether private information was taken. 'Ontario Health and Ontario Health atHome will notify if there has been any form of breach to individual patients,' Jones said. Premier Doug Ford said the province will get to the bottom of it. 'We will find out where the gap is and why it wasn't brought to our attention a lot earlier,' he said. Ford said the matter is personal to him, after his and his brother Rob Ford's medical information was breached in 2014. 'Anyone who breaches health-care records needs to be fired immediately,' Ford said. Toronto Raptors News Toronto Raptors Music Canada
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Ontario measles outbreak crosses 1000; Quebec, New Brunswick declare infection over
Ontario is facing a massive medical scare with outbreak of measles overwhelming its public health infrastructure. The most populous province of Canada has 1,020 measles cases, with 884 infected people as confirmed cases while doctors classify the remaining 136 as probable. While there have been no deaths, 76 infected people have been hospitalized including seven who had to be admitted to the intensive care units. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Pakistan suspends Simla pact: What it means & who's affected What is India's defence muscle if it ever has to attack? Can Pakistan afford a full-scale war with India? The rapid spread of the infection in Ontario comes just a few days after the measles outbreak in another province - Quebec was declared to have come to an end. Quebec, which shares its borders with Ontario, reported the first measles case in December 2024 and was declared over after reaching 40 in mid April 2025. But the situation is far more grim in Ontario where the 'cases are only going up', according to Liberal public-health critic Adil Shamji. Addressing a a press conference on Thursday (April 25), Shamji added, "The last time that we had an outbreak like this in Canada, Google search hadn't been invented yet and Brian Mulroney (1984 to 1993) was our prime minister." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Canada's first measles case was in New Brunswick in October 2024. The infected person had travelled to the region carrying the virus. By January 2025 the total number of cases in New Brunswick had reached 50 after which the public health authorities declared the outbreak over. Measles has been reported from Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Alberta health officials have reported 129 confirmed cases till April 25. Live Events Ontario's 15 public-health units have reported measles but the worst-affected are Southwestern Public Health, Grand Erie and Huron Perth. The three units together account for over 600 infections till date. According to the official data , Ontario reported less than 10 percent of the cases between 2013 and 2023, but the situation took a turn for the worse in late 2024 and 2025. While a highly contagious disease, measles is usually not a serious medical condition except infants and small children. It can affect anyone but can be easily prevented by getting vaccinated. Once infected, the person develops life-long immunity to the disease. The measles virus spreads through the air by droplets produced during coughing or sneezing by an infected person. The symptoms take about 10 to 14 days to manifest. They are cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.
Hamilton Spectator
25-04-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario reports 95 new measles cases, sending total above 1,000 since outbreak began
TORONTO - Public Health Ontario is reporting 95 new measles cases since last week, bringing the total number of people infected past 1,000. In its report released Thursday, the agency said as of Wednesday, a total of 1,020 people have had measles since the province's outbreak began last October The report said the ongoing rise in cases is 'due to continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized.' Many of the new cases continue to be reported in southwestern Ontario and three-quarters of the total measles cases in the province have been infants, children and teens, the report said. Dr. Sarah Wilson, a medical epidemiologist at Public Health Ontario, said in an interview there doesn't appear to be a trend of infection rates going up or down, since the number of new cases is 'broadly consistent with what we've seen in the last several weeks.' 'We're in this sort of roughly 100 cases per week terrain, and of course that's 100 cases too many,' Wilson said. Seventy-six people — including 57 children — have been hospitalized during the province's measles outbreak. Seven patients required ICU care, the report said, noting that all but four people who were hospitalized were unimmunized. 'That's a really important reminder that measles can have significant morbidity, significant complications. It's not a trivial illness, and importantly, that all of this can be prevented through vaccination,' Wilson said. The most common complications of measles are pneumonia and other bacterial illnesses, she said. There is also a one in 1,000 risk of encephalitis, which can lead to permanent neurological damage. In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Dr. Adil Shamji, the Liberal critic for public health, called the number of measles cases in Ontario 'staggering' and slammed Premier Doug Ford's Conservative government for not providing enough public updates, noting that Dr. Kieran Moore, the province's chief medical officer of health, last issued a press release about measles in mid-March. 'I shouldn't be the one standing at the podium here. Members of the government and ministry of health should be,' Shamji said. He also blamed the provincial government for the shortage of primary care providers 'so that 2.5 million people and counting don't have a family doctor and therefore struggle to find somewhere to vaccinate their children.' Shamji said another factor hindering the public health response to the measles outbreak is the amalgamation of nine public health units into four last January, saying that made it more difficult for public health officials to 'navigate a public health crisis.' Those amalgamated public health units include Grand Erie Public Health which PHO data shows has had 137 total cases, South East Health Unit with 79, Northeastern Public Health with 11 and Haliburton-Kawartha-Northumberland-Peterborough Health Unit, which has not reported any cases. Shamji called on the Ford government to allocate more funding to public health units, update the public regularly, provide public education about the safety of the measles vaccine and where to get it and to debate the provincial measles response in the legislature. In an emailed response to The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the government 'has made record investments to build healthier communities and support public health units (PHUs) across the province.' 'Not only have we increased funding for PHUs by nearly 20 per cent, but our government also restored the 75 per cent provincial, 25 per cent municipal cost share ratio and we are providing PHUs with an annual increase to base funding each year for three years,' said Ema Popovic in the statement. 'Our government and Dr. Moore have been clear in our message to people across the province — vaccination is the most effective way to limit the spread of measles and protect yourself and your loved ones,' Popovic said. Public Health Ontario releases a weekly report on the number of cases in the province, but it does not specify how many cases are active, or communicable. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, which is why vaccination is critical, medical experts say. The illness usually begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes, followed by a red blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads to the body. People with measles are contagious for about four days before their rash first appears, the day the rash appears, and four days afterward, Wilson said. The Public Health Agency of Canada says measles cases have been reported in six provinces — Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan As of Wednesday, Alberta has reported 122 cases of measles since its outbreak began in March. Quebec declared its measles outbreak over earlier this week after no new cases were reported in 32 days. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
