Passed and given Royal Assent on April 5, Nova Scotia’s Bill 419 will allow the Premier Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservative provincial government access to the private medical information of their citizens, despite warnings from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia that it would undermine doctor-patient relationships.

“This new law will require all physicians to enable access to their medical records for the minister,” Dr. Gus Grant, CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, warned during a March 25 legislative meeting.

“For physicians, this creates a new professional legal duty,” he added. “And for patients, it means the entirety of their medical records will be accessible to government.”

“I see it as the responsibility of the college to speak on behalf of the public, which I would expect is largely unaware of this seemingly innocuous amendment and its potential consequences,” he added.