| The College recognizes that a practitioner has the right to make decisions regarding his or her health, balanced with the College’s mandate to serve the public and guide the profession.
Reason for Policy: To establish governing principles on physician health with respect to notification, evaluation and determination of ongoing competence in practice. 1. Applicability: This broad policy includes all current policies with respect to: - notification of blood borne viruses and
- notification of chemical dependency.
This policy includes any disease or illness that may, at any point in the clinical course have cognitive, physical or psychological aspects. 2. Process: A. Notification: Notification of College health related concerns which affect practice must be made at the time of annual licensure. The applicability applies to all physicians in any and all categories of licensure as per the Standards of Practice on the duty to self report or to report a colleague. B. Evaluation: A colleague treating the physician has duty to report, when he or she feels that the affected physician is unsafe to practice and the affected physician has refused to be compliant with this advice. There should be protection from the usual confidentiality arrangements as these reports are made in good faith. Once identified the annual licensure, this health concern shall be evaluated by Registrar staff. This evaluation may include: - verbal review of practice/health condition
- in person review of practice (practice audit)
- formal assessment of capacity under Section 118 of the Health Professions Act
C. Determination: Determination of ongoing competency shall be made by Registrar staff after full evaluation and consultation with content experts that may have been consulted. Options may include: - no practice changes
- practice limitations as described and notifications under Section ___ of the Health Professions Act
- time limited absence from practice
- non-time limited absence from practice
- practice notification
Failure to report will be considered behaviour unbecoming and will be referred to the Complaints Director and in the event of a disagreement there may be an appeal to Council. |