TRAnsparency
Removal of
information
from public
register
F
photo: D.W. Dorken
rom time to time, physicians request
that the Registrar exercise his discretion to remove information about
them from the public register. At its
recent meeting, Council considered the principles for use by the Registrar in exercising his
discretion to remove information.
The Registrar has the ability to refuse to disclose to an individual or refuse to post on the
College’s website information that is available
to the public if the Registrar has ‘reasonable
grounds to believe that this information is obsolete and no longer relevant to the member’s
suitability to practice’. The statutory discretion
lies with the Registrar under a provision of the
Health Professions Procedural Code.
Given the increased categories of information
now available on the public register as a result
of the Transparency Initiative, there may be an
increase in requests from physicians to have
information about them removed.
The principles now indicate that physicians
wait at least two years from the date of the decision to make an application for removal. As
well, physicians are advised to wait at least six
months between applications. This approach
reflects the view that a certain amount of time
must pass to meet the Code’s requirement that
information is obsolete and no longer relevant.
Examples of some of the factors that the
Registrar may consider in exercising discretion
include:
• How recent is the information?
• Does the information have continued
relevance?
• What is the seriousness/severity of the
information?
• Does the information serve to enhance
protection of the public?
The updated principles that will guide these
decisions are published on the website at
www.cpso.on.ca.
Issue 4, 2015 Dialogue
Issue4_15.indd 31
31
2015-12-16 9:36 AM