The Ontario law governing disability management and occupational health records is in disarray, though it did not stop an Ontario arbitrator from reaching the correct outcome in a decision released in November of last year. Arbitrator Colin Johnston held that neither the Personal Health Information Act nor the Occupational Health and Safety Act precluded a hospital from providing its disability management file to its legal counsel so counsel could review it for production purposes.
Although the right outcome, Arbitrator Johnston reached it through (understandably) conservative means, distinguishing the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital case which precluded such a disclosure and the Divisional Court decision in Hooper. Further correction is required, as I argue here.
Health Sciences North v Ontario Nurses’ Association, 2022 CanLII 106545 (ON LA).
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