Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I understand the committee's concern, it is that doctors and nurses in the community would be given access to a patient's records without their consent. This issue has been contrasted with the different treatment afforded to the individual to refuse treatment under the act. That decision has more significant constitutional status than a patient's confidentiality of his records, which has not yet received recognition as a constitutional right. That being the case, the statute is not contravening a right other
than the common law one afforded to a patient in respect to confidentiality of information. That is not an absolute right, statutes can vary that right. They are doing so in this instance for the benefit of the patient to ensure that he gets better care on the basis of the information contained in his records. Thank you.