PROTECTING
Sexual Abuse
Better Support and Protection of
Patients
T
hrough our Sexual Abuse Initia-
tive, we advanced several legislative
proposals to strengthen penalties
and make sexual abuse prosecutions
more effective and efficient under our governing
legislation. When Bill 87, the Protecting Patients
Act, was introduced in December 2016, we were
pleased to see a number of our recommendations
reflected in the Bill, including:
• requiring mandatory revocation for all physi-
cal sexual contact between a physician and
patient;
• requiring mandatory revocation for physi-
cians found guilty of specified criminal sex-
ual offences, and for being found by another
regulatory body to have sexually abused a
patient;
• increasing privacy protections for witnesses
in relation to their personal medical records
where they are sought from a third party by
the physician;
• guaranteeing full party status and legal
representation for witnesses where the
physician tries to obtain the witness’s private
medical records from a third party during a
discipline hearing.
“
Through our Sexual Abuse
Initiative, we advanced several
legislative proposals to
strengthen penalties.
”
In early 2017, the College reviewed the proposed
legislation carefully and fully participated in the
legislative process to help ensure the regulatory
system had the tools needed to ensure patient
protection.
Bill 87 received Royal Assent on May 30, 2017.
ANNUAL REPORT 2016 21