A class-action lawsuit against Western Health over a massive privacy breach that occurred last summer is now moving forward.

Over the summer of 2012, the health authority fired an employee who accessed the medical files of more than 1,000 patients.

This incident followed on the heels of similar privacy breaches in St. John's that resulted in Eastern Health firing five employees and suspending six others.

The Corner Brook law firm of Brothers and Burden is representing two people whose files were accessed in Corner Brook.

St. John's lawyer Bob Buckingham is representing a third person.

On Friday, eight lawyers appeared in Supreme Court on the matter, either in person or by phone.

Adam Joyce, a lawyer with the firm Brothers and Burden, says the class-action lawsuit is still in the early stages. (CBC)

Adam Joyce, with the firm Brothers and Burden, said the lawsuit is still in the very early stages and they are in the process of working out issues to see if the two lawsuits can become one.

"Amendments can be made to pleadings and how the matter is going to proceed," Joyce said.

"The reason we had a case management set before there was even a defence was to come and deal with some of these preliminary issues early on in the process so that they don't become issues later on."

The case is set to be back in court on May 7.