Bill 87 – The Protecting Patients Act, 2016
Bill 87 was introduced by the province in December 2016 to amend several different health statutes, including the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA).
This is a summary and discussion of select proposed amendments to the RHPA, which will affect the 26 health profession regulators (Colleges) established under that statute.[1] I have made comments throughout, and at the end of this post.
Second Reading Completed
As of April 4, 2017, Bill 87 has undergone second reading, meaning that it has been debated by the legislature in principle, and has now been referred to standing committee, during which time public hearings may be held and amendments considered. The debate during second reading was reportedly closed early.
Amendments to Regulated Health Professions Act
The proposed amendments to the RHPA followed the release of the 2016 report[2] of the Minister’s sexual abuse task force, which set out many recommendations, not all of which were incorporated into the current bill.
Broadly speaking, the proposed amendments to the RHPA can be categorized as follows:
- Sexual abuse amendments
- Increased Ministerial powers
- Power to make interim suspensions
- Changes to complaints process
- Enhanced transparency of College information
- Increased reporting obligations of members
Continue reading “Update on Bill 87 (Ontario) – The Protecting Patients Act, 2016”
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