The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal (OPSDT) is the independent tribunal that adjudicates allegations of professional misconduct and incompetence against Ontario physicians. It replaced the CPSO Discipline Committee on September 1, 2021 and now operates as part of the Health Professions Discipline Tribunals group, which shares a common set of rules and processes across several Ontario health colleges.
Allegations are referred to the OPSDT by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario after investigation by the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee. The Tribunal’s findings and penalties, which can include reprimand, conditions on a certificate of registration, suspension, or revocation, are public and searchable on the OPSDT website. Decisions are subject to judicial review and, in some cases, statutory appeal.
OPSDT proceedings are regulatory rather than civil. They do not provide compensation to patients. However, the underlying conduct in many discipline cases overlaps with the kinds of clinical failures that also support medical malpractice claims, and the Tribunal’s reasons can be a useful source of information for patients considering a civil action.
Posts tagged OPSDT analyze recent discipline decisions involving Ontario physicians, with attention to the clinical context, the penalty imposed, and the implications for patient safety.
The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal has dismissed a second reinstatement application by a family physician whose licence was revoked for OHIP billing fraud. Paul Cahill explains why supervision and billing monitoring could not substitute for genuine insight into dishonesty, and what the decision means for patients.
National Post coverage of Dr. Michael Hart, the London, Ontario physician suspended for six months over his ketamine prescribing and for asking patients to sign away their right to sue him or complain to the College. Paul Cahill comments on why that document is an alarm bell, how it differs from an ordinary surgical consent form, and where a College proceeding ends and a civil claim begins.
A physician’s practice was found deficient across assessment, consent, prescribing, monitoring, record keeping and OHIP billing, on the evidence of two complainants and 34 further charts reviewed by two independent assessors. Patients were also asked to sign a form promising not to sue him and not to complain to the College. A look at what the Tribunal did with that, and why a discipline finding is not compensation.
Hamilton Spectator coverage of Dr. Stefan Konasiewicz, whose six-month suspension could end in August. Paul Cahill comments on why a patient death led the discipline tribunal to remediation rather than revocation, and where a College proceeding ends and a civil claim begins.
A family physician was suspended for three months after failing to complete a patient’s insurance forms, release another patient’s records to their lawyer, and cooperate with the College’s investigation. A look at why unreturned records are treated as misconduct, and what discipline does and does not do for an injured patient.
An emergency physician was struck off after billing OHIP $125,353 for services he never rendered, including critical care and cardioversions with no record they ever happened, and then refusing to cooperate with the College’s investigation. A look at why records integrity and the duty to cooperate sit at the centre of physician accountability.
A neurosurgeon practising pain medicine was suspended for six months after the tribunal found his chronic pain care fell below the standard of practice, his treatment of a patient who died after nerve blocks was deficient, and he breached a College order restricting his injections. A look at why a patient death led to remediation rather than revocation, and where the discipline process ends and a civil claim begins.
Ontario discipline tribunal imposes four-month suspension, practice restrictions, and mandatory supervision on chronic pain physician with pattern of prior concerns.
The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal revoked Dr. Maharaj’s licence after finding his care of 17 patients fell below the standard of practice and that he was incompetent. A look at the consent, evidence-based-treatment and privacy findings, and what a discipline decision does and does not mean for an injured patient.
Ontario discipline tribunal revokes psychiatrist’s licence for issuing over 1,400 COVID exemption letters for profit, with dual misconduct and incompetence findings.
Ontario discipline tribunal imposes suspension on fertility physician based on Quebec findings, including federal Assisted Human Reproduction Act breaches.
Ontario discipline tribunal grants conditional reinstatement to psychiatrist whose licence was revoked in 2018 for serious professional boundary violations.
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