Ont. Gov't still has no conscience protection in Bill 84

Dear Dr. Hoskins,

On April 2, 2017 you are quoted in the Globe and Mail as saying:

“Many of these same people, when they express their concern, they ask us to implement what’s sort of being referred to as the Alberta model...We are implementing the Alberta model.”

I understand that this is NOT the case. The Alberta model does not require any physician involvement – it does not require an effective referral, and the model is entirely patient accessed.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario still requires an effective referral from doctors if requested by a patient – even though a care coordination service has been created.

Many Members of Provincial Parliament and Ministers have been confused by this statement and are now under the incorrect impression that an effective referral is no longer needed with the model the government has implemented.

To protect conscientiously objecting doctors and health care providers here in Ontario we must implement a conscience amendment in Bill 84.

Can you please ensure that proper a conscience clause is inserted into Bill 84?

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patricia Maloney

cc Nathalie Des Rosiers

Kathleen Wynne

CPSO - freedom of conscience rights are sacred

My letter in the National Post today

Why would the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario insist doctors be forced to refer for treatment that goes against their conscience? As MP Maurice Vellacott recently stated, there is “no other jurisdiction that currently allows euthanasia or assisted suicide imposes such an obligation.”

Requiring doctors to act against their conscience and/or be complicit in an act they find morally reprehensible is a surely not a road we wish them to travel. If I knew my doctor could so easily leave his conscience by the side of the road when treating me for “A,” then how could I ever trust him when treating me for “B”?

When doctors signed up to become doctors, they did so knowing their freedom of conscience rights were sacred. Creating a policy that tramples on these fundamental rights is wrong and dangerous.

Patricia Maloney, Ottawa.

CPSO's "effective referral" policy misunderstood by spokesperson?

CPSO is seeking public input on a draft policy that would force doctors to refer for services which they are legally entitled to.

From the National Post:

"If ap­proved, the new pol­icy would re­quire doc­tors to make those re­fer­rals. 

In an emer­gency, doc­tors would even have to pro­vide ser­vi­ces them­selves, re­gardless of re­li­gious be­lief. 

Sim­i­lar poli­cies are al­read­y in place in Al­berta, Mani­toba, Que­bec and New Bruns­wick, 

Dr. Ga­bel says: “This is noth­ing new.”"

But Dr. Marc Gabel is wrong to say Alberta, Manitoba and NB have "similar" policies to CPSO's "effective referral" policy.

CPSO's "effective referral" is:

"Where physicians are unwilling to provide certain elements of care due to their moral or religious beliefs, an effective referral to another health care provider must be provided to the patient. An effective referral means a referral made in good faith, to a non-objecting, available, and accessible physician or other health care provider."

Those provinces require a referral to a doctor who will provide information about a procedure, not the procedure itself. See: Appendix 3 of CPSO's annual meeting of Council.

New Brunswick:
Referrals: When moral or religious beliefs prevent a physician from providing or offering access to information about a legally available medical or surgical treatment or service, that physician must ensure that the patient who seeks such advice or medical care is offered timely access to another physician or resource that will provide accurate information about all available medical options.

Manitoba:
Referrals: If the moral or religious beliefs of a member prevent him or her from providing or offering access to information about a legally available medical treatment or procedure, the member must ensure that the patient who seeks that advice or medical care is offered timely access to another member or resource that will provide accurate information about all available medical options.

Alberta:
Referrals: When moral or religious beliefs prevent a physician from providing or offering access to information about a legally available medical or surgical treatment or service, that physician must ensure that the patient who seeks such advice or medical care is offered timely access to another physician or resource that will provide accurate information about all available medical options.

See my previous posts on CPSO and conscientious objection here and here.