Skip to content

Medical fax story prompts change at imaging clinic

Clinic changes fax number after faxes go awry, says Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
David Mason Fax Problem 2
David Mason has received hundreds of personal medical imaging records on his home fax machine since 2005. He removed his fax machine after going public with his concerns.

A Victoria medical imaging clinic is changing its fax number and notifying doctors of privacy rules after a Victoria man received hundreds of private medical imaging requests to his home fax machine in error.

After the News exclusively told David Mason's story last week, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner followed up with both Mason and the intended receiving clinic, whose fax number differed from Mason's by one digit.

“The clinic has decided to change its fax number,” said Cara McGregor, privacy commissioner spokesperson.

The new fax number, along with privacy guidelines for faxing and emailing personal information, is being distributed by the clinic to all relevant physician offices, McGregor said.

The medical imaging clinic, CML Healthcare Inc., did not respond to a request for comment.

Vancouver-based West Coast Medical Imaging, which purchased CML clinics from an Ontario-based company in February, was unavailable for comment.

Mason received more than 200 medical imaging requests to his home fax machine since 2005, thanks to misdials from sending physicians. After his story went public, Mason removed his fax machine for good.

dpalmer@vicnews.com