Sexual abuse initiative
Council actions enhance
commitment to patients
Process improvements, request for legislative changes help form the
College’s sexual abuse initiative to better support, protect patients
photo: MASTERFILE
C
for therapy and counselling for surviouncil continues to proRead what we are doing
vors of sexual abuse by physicians.
pose a number of changes
24 Previous Council Decisions
Council also addressed the issue of
– both to the legislation
gender-based restrictions – an issue that
which governs us, and to
25 Sexual Abuse Principles
has been the subject of particular scruour own processes and practices – that
27
Legislation
Changes
tiny recently. Council directed that all
will better protect and support Ontario
further decisions to use gender-based
patients from physician sexual abuse.
30 Processes and Practices
restrictions be measured against a set of
The proposed changes stem from our
33 Patient Support and
particular factors.
ongoing initiative to ensure that we are
Access
“When we set out on this initiative,
doing all that we can to support and
34 Education and Training
we made it clear that everything was on
protect patients from physician sexual
the table for discussion,” said Dr. Carol
abuse.
Leet, College President. “These decisions demonstrate
The actions at the most recent meeting range from
our commitment to patients. Sexual abuse of patients is
making changes to our own processes to seeking new
an issue that we take very seriously and it is behaviour
powers in our governing legislation. For example, we
that won’t be tolerated,” she said.
will ask for a change that would give the Inquiries,
Sexual abuse investigations represent 2% of the ColComplaints and Reports Committee the ability to relege’s total investigations each year. That figure has been
open certain investigations if significant new informaconstant for 10 years.
tion comes to light. We will also ask for a number of
Please read the following pages for more details.
changes to a program that operates a fund which pays
Issue 3, 2015 Dialogue
23