REGINA – More than half of the 13 health regions in Saskatchewan are backing away from a fundraising plan because of concerns about patient privacy.
Privacy commissioner Gary Dickson says at least seven health regions have decided they won’t automatically share patients’ names and addresses with hospital foundations that raise money.
The Saskatchewan government amended privacy rules in April to allow the information to be used for fundraising.
Under the rules, former patients have to fill out forms if they don’t want their information shared.
Health Minister Don McMorris said at the time that the change would make it easier for publicly funded health facilities to identify people who might be motivated to donate.
Dickson says there was a "ground swell of opposition" from the public to the idea that information could be shared without prior consent.
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