Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover indicated her support today of the East Prince Health Board's decision to deny Dr. Douglas Ian Cameron admitting privileges to the Prince County Hospital.
"Ensuring high standards of practice, competence and conduct is a responsibility that my Department takes very seriously. Any action which could potentially compromise the very high level of public confidence in the Prince County Hospital and East Prince Health services is of utmost concern to the Department," said the Minister.
"The Board's decision was not an easy one, and they are to be commended for their very careful deliberation," she added.
The Minister said that the Board's decision to deny Dr. Cameron hospital privileges is consistent with the Department's previous attempts to refuse to compensate him for medical services.
The Minister advised that since the Court decision in January to deny the Department's request to refuse Dr. Cameron a billing number, provisions have been put in place to prevent a similar situation from happening again by strengthening the Health Services Payment Act and the Medical Act.
Amendments to the Medical Act give more power and responsibility to the College of Family Physicians and Surgeons to refuse licensure to applicants found guilty of criminal offences.
The 1997 amendments give the College greater investigative powers and authority to demand evidence from a physician's peers if it receives reports of sexual misconduct. The amendments increase the penalties for such offences by requiring the College to revoke a physician's license if he or she is found guilty of a criminal offence, and require the physician to wait five years before being permitted to reapply to be re-instated.
Provincial Medical Director Don Ling indicated that Dr. Cameron's medical license is limited by strict conditions set down by the College, and his practice is to be monitored regularly by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Department is requesting the monitoring reports from the College and is ensuring that he is working within provincial policies and procedures.
Dr. Ling added that the Board's refusal to grant privileges to Dr. Cameron will not diminish health services in the Region. "There is no established medical need for additional service to be added to Internal Medicine services in East Prince, and the need for these services is currently being well met at a high level," he said.
For more information contact:
Jean Doherty, Health and Social Services at (902-368-6257