Standard of practice is the benchmark used in the regulatory and disciplinary context to measure a health professional’s conduct against the expectations of the profession. In discipline proceedings, a finding that a member failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession is a core route to a finding of professional misconduct, and it draws on the College’s published standards, policies, and guidelines.
The regulatory standard of practice is related to, but not identical with, the civil standard of care. Both ask what a reasonable practitioner would have done, but they serve different ends: the disciplinary standard protects the public and governs the profession, while the civil standard determines liability and compensation. A College standard or policy is relevant evidence in both settings, but in a civil case the standard of care is ultimately established through expert evidence rather than by the policy alone.
Posts tagged Standard of Practice analyze Ontario discipline decisions addressing the professional standard of practice and its relationship to the civil standard of care.
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 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 ER physician suspended after sending home a 19-year-old with a peritonitic abdomen; she died of septic shock. CPSO v Duic, 2025 ONPSDT 11.
Ontario anesthesiologist suspended ten months for lapses in vigilance, altering records after adverse events, and OHIP misbilling. CPSO v Sharma, 2025 ONPSDT 5.
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