The province is being questioned on access to private medical records.

Doctors Nova Scotia is concerned about proposed legislative changes that would give the health department more access to people’s files.

In the legislature, Liberal opposition leader Zach Churchill asked why the Department of Health and Wellness didn’t consult with doctors.

“It forces doctors and their record keepers to give personal health information to the minister. This is concerning. We’re hearing from doctors privately that they think this could really increase a risk between patients and doctors. Why weren’t doctors consulted on this?” asked Churchill during Question Period.

Health minister Michelle Thompson says there have been consultations, and the changes would help them gather more data to help the healthcare system.

“I have access to virtual care, urgent and emergency care, but I can’t get an insight into how many visits there are. So we need access to aggregate data that will help us make better informed decisions,” said Thompson.

She says they aren’t interested in people’s individual information.

The changes are scheduled to go through the Law Amendments Committee.