reports from council
“We want to ensure
that we are able to
empower patients to
come forward, and
protect and support
them”
Council unanimously voted to
review the sexual abuse provisions
in our governing legislation and
examine our own processes to
determine whether changes need
to be made to better support and
protect patients.
The College’s plan includes a review of the provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act and the
Health Professions Procedural Code
to identify whether any changes are
needed. Council will consider, for
example:
• hether steps should be taken
W
to increase penalties for those
acts of sexual abuse that do not
require revocation.
• hether restrictions that preW
vent or limit a physician from
treating patients of a particular
gender need to be re-evaluated.
The College will also examine its
own processes to ensure best practices in sexual abuse investigations
22
Dialogue Issue 4, 2014
and prosecutions.
“We take sexual abuse by physicians very seriously. We want to
ensure that we are able to empower
patients to come forward, and protect and support them when they
do,” said Dr. Carol Leet, incoming
College President.
Please see page 42 for more information.
Policy Drafts Approved
for Consultation
Council directed that three draft
policies be released for external consultation. The drafts are the result
of extensive research and reflect
feedback received in preliminary
external consultations.
The draft Consent to Treatment policy sets out expectations
of physicians regarding consent
to treatment and provides guidance to physicians regarding their
legal and professional obligation to
obtain consent prior to providing
treatment.
The draft Planning for and Providing Quality End-of-Life Care
policy sets out the College’s profes-
photo: D.W. Dorken
Reviewing Practices,
Legislation to Better
Support Patients