UPDATE | Bill 87, Protecting Patients Act, 2016
On December 8, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 87, Protecting Patients Act, 2016. The legislation, if passed, proposes amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 that will strengthen, uphold and reinforce Ontario's zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse of patients by any regulated health professional. This includes:
- Expanding the list of acts that would result in the mandatory revocation of a regulated health professional's certificate of registration
- Removing the ability of a college to impose gender-based restrictions on a regulated health professional's certificate of registration
- Increasing fines for health professionals and organizations that fail to report an allegation of patient sexual abuse to a college
- Increasing transparency by adding to what colleges must report on their public registries and websites
- Establishing a minimum time period after the end of a patient-provider relationship during which sexual relations are prohibited
- Increasing timely access to funding for patient therapy and counselling when a complaint of patient sexual abuse is made
The government is moving quickly to address the recommendations, and we are following this matter closely. The College has zero tolerance for sexual abuse by its members. Abuse of a patient is never acceptable and is an act of professional misconduct. The College is committed to preventing sexual abuse by promoting awareness, expectations of its members, providing further education and effectively addressing patient complaints. The College encourages all members to review the Standard of Practice on Prohibition of a Sexual Relationship with a Patient, to learn more about patient/provider relationships, boundaries and reporting requirements.
MOHLTC (2016). The Protecting Patients Act. 2016, Retrieved from https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2016/12/the-protecting-patients-act-2016.html
|