Facility Oversight
As a medical regulator, our primary focus is on
risk of harm and patient safety as well as the
quality of care provided to patients.
The Oversight of Health Facilities and Devices
Act, 2017 (OHFDA) provides for a single
legislative framework for the Independent
Health Facilities Program (IHFP), the Out-
of-Hospital Premises Inspection Program
(OHPIP) and energy applying and detecting
medical devices (EADMDs). The College has been involved in facilities
regulation since the early 1990s. Under the
Independent Health Facilities Act (IHFA) the
College is assigned, through its Registrar,
specific duties regarding the regulation of
independent health facilities. In 2010, the
College expanded its involvement in facilities
regulation with the development of the Out
of Hospital Premises Inspection Program
(OHPIP). The College sought to develop the
OHPIP to address a significant threat to
patient safety related to facilities providing
uninsured, complex surgical interventions for
cosmetic purposes, but that were not captured
by the IHFA or any other form of oversight.
The OHFDA’s focus on patient safety brings
changes to a new regulatory system of oversight
for community health facilities (CHFs) in Ontario.
The College voiced support for the legislation
as it provides an inspecting body with effective
tools to take action to protect the public where
quality issues are identified by the inspecting
body. The College is also supportive of the
flexibility that the new legislation possesses to
capture medical services that are delivered in the
community and that should be subject to quality The College’s involvement in facilities
regulation has continued to grow in scope. In
May 2017, the College proposed a regulation
amendment, following the Minister’s request, to
provide the College with authority to enter and
inspect premises where fertility services are
performed, regardless of whether anesthesia
or sedation is used. This program is not
yet operating; however, it demonstrates the
College’s commitment to ensuring a modern
system of patient protection in Ontario.
For that reason, the College was pleased to
welcome, in 2017, legislation that consolidates
oversight for Ontario’s out of hospital
facilities and services, better ensures patient
safety, and takes important steps to increase
transparency and public reporting.
oversight. Implementation of these changes
will be up to the next Ontario government.
CPSO ANNUAL REPORT 2017 // page 14