Group Health says probe underway as doctor to face disciplinary hearing

A general practitioner will face a disciplinary hearing over allegations of professional misconduct, including allegations of inappropriately accessing health records of two patients.

A notice of hearing issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario alleges the Sault physician inappropriately and without consent accessed records of an unnamed person who was not his patient on a number of occasions between 2003 and 2014 and then acted as coroner “in all or in part” in an investigation into that person’s death last year despite “a real or perceived conflict of interest due to a close personal relationship."

The hearing notice also alleges the doctor inappropriately accessed health records of a second person who was not his patient a number of times between 2003 and 2006.

Health care workers from across the province have faced sanctions in recent years over privacy breaches, including a nurse who worked at SAH and made national headlines when she was suspended last month by the Ontario College of Nurses for inappropriately accessing the information of 338 patients without consent or authorization.

If found to have committed the misconduct alleged by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Douglas Brooks could face a number of possible sanctions, including having his certificate with the college suspended or revoked.

Brooks declined to comment when reached at his office on Wednesday.

The notice of hearing says records for both patients were held at Group Health Centre.

The first patient’s records were also held at Sault Area Hospital, the notice says.

Sault Area Hospital, which has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy when it comes to violations of patient privacy, told SooToday it conducted an investigation and found no breach of its records in this case.

Alex Lambert, Group Health Centre’s CEO, said GHC is conducting an ongoing investigation and has cooperated with the College of Physicians and Surgeons with its investigation, but declined to comment on this specific case.

“We take privacy extraordinarily seriously,” said Lambert.

He said Brooks continues to operate under his “normal status” with GHC while the investigation is ongoing.

Brooks also continues to have hospital privileges at SAH, said Brandy Sharp Young, the hospital’s communications manager.

Brooks is under no practice restrictions and has no past discipline findings listed on the public register of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website.

A date for a hearing into the allegations, which would take place in Toronto, has not yet been set.