Manitoba Ombudsman says an investigation has led them to believe a privacy officer accessed and shared a man's private health information.

An organization dedicated to investigating complaints about privacy says they received a complaint from a man saying a woman accessed his private health information. They say the woman, working as a  privacy officer in a health-care facility, accessed and disclosed information about the man, unrelated to her work.

“Personal health information is considered by many to be the most sensitive type of information about individuals. Manitobans trust that employees of health-care facilities will respect their privacy and only use their personal health information as authorized under the law," Ombudsman Jill Perron says in a statement.

The worker is facing three charges, with each charge's maximum penalty being $50,000 under the Personal Health Information Act.

“Abusing that trust by intentionally violating someone’s privacy is wrong and has serious consequences.”

This is the second time someone has been charged for accessing or trying to access, health information after the Personal Health Information Act was amended in 2013.

A court date has not been set. The ombudsman will not be releasing more information on this incident.