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Professional Conduct reports: October 2024
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Discipline Decisions, October Messenger 2024 |
Posted October 10, 2024
Read time: 2 minutes
Recent hearing outcomes
CPSA cancels practice permit of Dr. Albert de Villiers
A CPSA Hearing Tribunal has ordered the cancellation of the practice permit and registration of Dr. Albert de Villiers.
In 2023, Dr. de Villiers was found guilty by Alberta’s Court of King’s Bench of sexual interference, of a person under the age of 16. Under the Health Professions Act (HPA), contravening another enactment applicable to the profession (in this case, the Criminal Code of Canada) constitutes unprofessional conduct. As such, under section 56 of the HPA, CPSA’s Complaints Director initiated a complaint against Dr. de Villiers after his criminal conviction and referred the matter for a hearing.
As Dr. de Villiers’ victim was not a patient, mandatory sanctions for sexual abuse under An Act to Protect Patients do not apply in this case. After considering the evidence and arguments presented, the Hearing Tribunal cancelled Dr. de Villiers’ practice permit and registration. He was also ordered to pay 100 per cent of the costs of the investigation and hearing. The tribunal’s full written decision can be reviewed on CPSA’s website (please be advised, this decision contains descriptions of sexual language and sexual abuse).
Dr. de Villiers is currently incarcerated and his CPSA practice permit has been inactive since 2020.
CPSA finds Dr. Jeremy Reed guilty of unprofessional conduct
After a recent hearing before a CPSA Hearing Tribunal, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeremy Reed was found guilty of unprofessional conduct for failing to provide CPSA with requested documentation.
In 2022, CPSA’s Complaints Director learned that Dr. Reed was the subject of criminal proceedings in Saskatchewan and initiated a complaint under section 56 of the Health Professions Act. Multiple requests were made by CPSA to Dr. Reed for documentation to confirm the outcome of the criminal investigation and whether the conditional discharge ordered by the Saskatchewan Provincial Court was fulfilled.
Dr. Reed did not provide the requested information and ultimately stopped responding to inquiries and correspondence from CPSA. After considering all the evidence presented, the Hearing Tribunal found the allegations against Dr. Reed were proven and constituted unprofessional conduct. Submissions on sanction will be considered at a later date. The tribunal’s written decision can be reviewed on CPSA’s website.
Dr. Reed did not attend the hearing, and his practice permit and registration with CPSA have been inactive since 2023.
| Learnings for the profession
Under CPSA’s Duty to Report Self standard of practice, regulated members have a responsibility to notify CPSA of issues or personal circumstances that may affect their ability to provide safe patient care—this includes criminal charges or convictions. A list of situations requiring a physician to self report are specified in the standard. The requirement to self report may elicit apprehension, but we see it as an opportunity to start a dialogue about the best way forward. All reports are handled based on the relevant specifications of each situation. CPSA has a responsibility to ensure regulated members are providing competent care and will only restrict a physician’s ability to practise if the circumstances suggest patient safety is at risk. Review our advice document on a regulated member’s duty to report to learn more. |
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