November 14, 2002

Via Mail and Fax

RHPA Project
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
80 Grosvenor Street
Hepburn Block, 8th Floor
Toronto, ON
M7A 1R3

Please accept the following submission from the Canadian Health Care Anti-Fraud Association concerning amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. We apologize for the delay in responding, but this is our Association's first involvement in this Project.

As our submission explains, we support the suggestions and recommendations made in the view of the Regulated Health Professions Act, particularly those that improve the complaints and disciplinary processes of the Colleges providing: 1) easy access, 2) understandable and easy to follow consistent protocols, 3) meaningful, behaviour changing consequences for the professionals who breach public trust.

However, we feel that there is a need for the health practices legislation to go further in addressing the evolving health services business world. In the current world, trust systems are required to provide timely responsive health services. The health professions need to accept the responsibility to manage breaches of ethics and trust with not just the patient, but the health care system funders. Collectively, professionals and public/private health care funders have a joint fiduciary responsibility to the system.

On behalf of the CHCAA, we thank you for the opportunity to comment on these recommendations.

Sincerely,

Wes Moore
Executive, CHCAA