If you are a patient who has been injured from medical treatment and believe that your physician failed to meet his or her professional standards, you can file a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (“CPSO”).
What is the CPSO
CPSO is the College that regulates the medical profession in Ontario. All doctors must be members of CPSO in order to practise medicine in Ontario. The CPSO evaluates an individual’s education and professional qualifications and ensures that only qualified individuals are licenced to practise medicine.
Members of the College are governed by the Medicine Act, 1991, the Health Professionals Procedural Code, the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, and by the regulations and by laws of the College. The CPSO holds significant regulatory power. It sets out and enforces professional standards for its members. It can impose various disciplinary actions on physicians who commit acts of professional misconduct or incompetence.
The key mission of the College is to protect and serve the public interest.
The Complaints Process
The CPSO also handles patient complaints against physicians. A complaint to the CPSO about a physician may be initiated online or by telephone. The CPSO’s webpage sets out the details for its complaints process. Patients are encouraged to resolve their concerns with their physician first, where appropriate.
The CPSO will conduct an investigation into the patient’s complaint and will make enquiries into the physician’s practice. This investigation can uncover important information regarding professional misconduct or medical negligence.
The College may determine that disciplinary proceedings as against a physician are warranted. The College has the power to impose disciplinary actions as against physicians which include cautions, fines, suspensions and the revocation of licence to practise medicine.
Retain a Medical Malpractice Lawyer to Represent You
If you or a loved one has suffered damages as a result of a physician’s medical negligence, contact one of the lawyers at Bogoroch & Associates LLP to discuss whether a civil lawsuit should be commenced.
It is not enough that you have experienced a poor outcome from your medical treatment. In order to establish liability in a medical malpractice case, you will need to prove that your physician fell below the expected standard of care and that this breach in the standard of care caused you damage. Information obtained during the CPSO investigation may assist our lawyers in determining whether a medical malpractice lawsuit should be pursued.
At Bogoroch & Associates LLP, we understand the challenges that patients who have been injured as a result of medical negligence face. Although medical malpractice cases are expensive, difficult and complex, our firm is committed to providing our clients with access to justice and by providing compassionate and effective legal representation.