FEATURE
Closing a
Medical
Practice
College wants your
feedback in consultation
on draft policy
I
f you are considering closing your
medical practice permanently, you will
want to pay close attention to the ex-
pectations articulated in the College’s
draft policy.
The Closing a Medical Practice draft
policy, which is now open for consulta-
tion, updates expectations around patient
notification, and physicians’ obligations in
facilitating continuity of care. Notably, the
draft states that physicians must provide
90 days’ notice to active patients prior to a
planned closure of the practice – an expec-
tation shared by other Canadian medical
regulatory authorities.
The scope of the draft has been nar-
rowed from the current policy to focus on
physicians who are permanently closing a
medical practice, either because they are
ceasing to practise medicine or because they
are relocating. Temporary absences from a
medical practice – for any reason – will be
addressed in the Continuity of Care poli-
cies currently being developed.
The current policy only requires physi-
cians to try and arrange ongoing care for
ISSUE 1, 2018 DIALOGUE
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