Confidentiality has gone too far...

I recently phoned Vancouver General Hospital for information on a patient who I was visiting nearly everyday and to whom I was a substitution decision maker..  I was told that she was discharged from ICU.  I asked where to.  I was told such information was confidential.  I asked who made the information confidential, did the patient.  Since this patient could not speak or write because of her illness how could she have asked for such information to be confidential. The hospital did not ask if she wanted this privacy. It just takes it upon itself to impose this restriction.

I received a telephone call saying that Carolanne was at George Pearson Centre.  I contracted the social worker there and he would not confirm if she was there or not as such information was confidential.

Today being Sunday I was told that Carolanne was back at VGH.  I phoned VGH and was told she was now in tower 12C.  I went and saw her and although she was in bad shape she did recognize me.. Apparently within the few short days she was at GPC she gained an infection and she was rushed back to emergency and then to 12C.