Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham has announced plans to reverse a controversial policy that blocked parents from accessing their children's medical records under the province's new digital health information system, CorCare. The decision comes after widespread backlash from families and opposition parties.
Policy reversal amid public outcry
In a statement late Thursday, Wakeham addressed what he called “significant confusion and concern regarding parental access to their children’s medical records.” He emphasized, “I want to be categorical: Parents are the primary protectors of their children. Our government believes that parents or guardians should always have the right to access their children’s healthcare information.” The premier acknowledged that the policy had created a rift between existing laws and family expectations.
“We have heard clearly from families across the province, and we will ensure the law supports parents and guardians while protecting the best interests of children and youth,” Wakeham wrote in a statement to the National Post.
Background of the CorCare system
Newfoundland and Labrador launched CorCare in April, described by health officials as a province-wide health information system designed to replace outdated digital systems. It aims to enable the collection, management, storage, and transmission of electronic medical records. However, a memorandum emailed to parents on June 19 sparked outrage by stating that parents or legal guardians would not have access to the personal health records of minors over 16 unless designated as a proxy, and that proxy access for children aged 12 to 15 required the youth's consent.
The provincial Liberal party criticized the rollout, noting that “parents and families are only learning about this change now as the school year comes to a close.” They accused the government of slipping the change into a mass email rather than explaining it publicly.
Legislative changes promised
Wakeham said the policy was not created by his government but acknowledged that the implementation of CorCare exposed a misalignment between existing statutes and family expectations. “We did not create this policy, but we are going to fix it,” he stated. The premier pledged an immediate review of legislation and, following consultations, will introduce legislative changes this fall to ensure parental access to children's medical records is protected.
He added, “We recognize there are complex cases involving child safety, and our legal system already has robust protections in place for those specific instances. However, we can’t allow a policy of ‘secrecy by default’ to stand between parents and the health of their children.”
