Monthly Archives: December 2017

December 21, 2017: A weekly scan of new legislation and regulations important to the Ontario health sector, as well as articles of interest.

 

Bills

The Ontario Legislature has adjourned until February 20, 2018.

 

Proposed Regulations

1.  Ontario Regulation 386/99 – Provision of Community Services

 

The Ministry is proposing to amend the current service maximums set out under O.REG 386/99 by:

• Increasing current service maximums for homemaking and personal support services
• Permitting LHINS to exceed service maximum when the LHIN determines there are extraordinary circumstances that justify providing additional homemaking and personal support services and nursing for clients with complex needs
• Defining complex needs

Comments Due: January 30, 2018

For more information:  Proposed Regulatory Amendment to Ontario Regulation

 

2.  Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying Regulations

The proposed regulations were released on Dec 16, 2017 in the Canada Gazette, Part I. The proposed regulations would:

• Support public accountability and transparency in relation to MAID;
• Support the protection of vulnerable individuals by monitoring the application of the eligibility criteria and safeguards required by the legislation;
• Identify and monitor trends in request for, and the provision of, MAID;
• Help determine whether the legislation is meeting its objectives; and
• Make data available to qualified researchers for the purpose of enabling independent analysis and research.

Comments Due:  Feb 14, 2018 (60 days from when the this notice was published)

For proposed regulatory text and more information:

http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2017/2017-12-16/html/reg6-eng.html

 

Health Newsroom

Ontario opening 26 new long-term care beds in Hanover

Ontario opening new hospice for homeless in Toronto

Ontario lifts financial burden off families in need with OHIP+

Investments in Rapid Access Clinics for Muscle and Bone Disorder Assessment

 

Articles of Interest

MAID

Federal government proposes new monitoring system for medical assistance in dying

 

Marijuana

Health Canada nearly doubles number of marijuana production licenses in second half of 2017

 

Pharmaceutical Industry

Thousands expected at funeral of Barry and Honey Sherman Thursday

How Barry Sherman built his multibillion-dollar fortune

 

Holiday Season

Pearson airport expected to see more than 130,000 travelers today, GTAA says

Downtown Toronto’s best holiday window displays, ranked

A skeptic’s guide to self-care

Reviewing 2017 like a movie: Unrealistic plots, cartoonish characters

Here’s how to get $25 from Loblaws after it admitted to fixing bread pries

 

What’s happening in our city this weekend:

Things to do this Weekend

 

 

December 15, 2017:  A weekly scan of new legislation and regulations important to the Ontario health sector, as well as articles of interest.

 

Bills

 

No new bills of interest.

 

Status of Previously Reported Bills

 

Bill	Status
Bill 160 – Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017	Royal Assent received on December 12, 2017.
Bill 174 – Cannabis, Smoke-Free Ontario and Road Safety Statue Law Amendment Act, 2017	Royal Assent received on December 12, 2017.
Bill 182 – Compassionate Care Act, 2017	Before the Standing Committee on General Government.

 

 

Proposed and Approved Regulations

 

Proposed amendments to the following regulations under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA)

• 95/03 – Specification of Virulent Diseases
• 553 – Areas Comprising Health Units
• 559 – Designation of Municipal Members of Boards of Health
• 558/91 – Specification of Communicable Diseases
• 559/91 – Specification of Reportable Diseases
• 565 – Public Pools
• NEW – Personal Service Settings

 

These proposed amendments are related to Schedule 3 of Bill 160, the Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017, which includes amendments to HPPA to ensure Ontario’s high public health quality standards are met. If passed, Schedule 3 of Bill 160 must be proclaimed into force by the Lieutenant Governor.

 

Comments due: January 4, 2018.

 

For more information: http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=25946&language=en

 

Health Newsroom

 

MOHTLC – Protecting People in Ontario from the Health Impacts of Cannabis

Ontario passes legislation to strengthen transparency in health care

Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017

 

Articles of Interest

 

MAID

Parkinson’s patient forced to battle bureaucracy around assisted death

 

Mental Health

BC Man defends province’s mental-health detention system following critical report

Most mental health patients don’t get timely psychiatric care in Ontario, study finds

 

Professional Misconduct

Memo to bullying doctors: Heal thyselves

 

Health Care

A Toronto doctor promised to help this acid attack survivor. One year later, she’s leaving Toronto with a new esophagus.

Hallway medicine is what ails Ontario’s hospital system

 

 

 

A weekly scan of new legislation and regulations important to the Ontario health sector, as well as articles of interest.

 

Bills

No new bills of interest.

 

Status of Previously Reported Bills

 

Bill	Status
Bill 160 – Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017	The Bill is at Third Reading on December 7, 2017
Bill 174 – Cannabis, Smoke-Free Ontario and Road Safety Statue Law Amendment Act, 2017	Before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy

 

Proposed and Approved Regulations

 

A) Regulation 552 – Health Insurance Act

An amendment to regulation 552 is required to align the regulation with the soon-to-be-proclaimed amendments to the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) that will extend eligibility for child protection services to 16 and 17 year old youth through a Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA). Under the current CFSA, 16 and 17 year olds are not eligible to receive child protection services from a Society unless a youth is already the subject of a child protection court order.

For more information: http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=25751&language=en

 

B) Child, Youth & Family Services Act, 2017 (“CYFSA”) Proposed Regulations

• CYFSA received Royal Assent on June 1, 2017. Proposed regulations that deal with the new personal information privacy framework established under Part X (Personal Information) of the CYFSA are available online for review. The public must make their comments by January 26, 2018.
• Please click on the following for more information about the proposed regulations:
  • Exceptions to disclosure of PI for planning and managing services
  • Privacy breach notification requirements to an individual
  • Record retention, transfer and disposal requirements
  • Use of a standardized form by physicians to prevent the disclosure of records of mental health
  • Privacy breach notification requirements to the Minister and the IPC
  • Service provider use of PI for research purposes
  • Prescribed entity and non-prescribed entity/person use of personal information for research purposes
  • Prescribing a body for purposes of capacity and substitute decision-making review
  • Ministry use of PI for research purposes
  • Prescribed reporting to the IPC under Part X (Personal Information) of the CYFSA
  • Disclosure for planning and managing services – requirements for non-prescribed entities or persons on the use, security, disclosure, return or disposal of information
  • Prescribing requirements/restrictions the prescribed body must comply with in conducting reviews related to determinations of incapacity and substitute decision-making
  • Disclosure of PI to prescribed entities

 

Health Newsroom

 

Ontario opening 50 new long-term care beds in London

• Province opening 30, 000 more beds across the province over the next decade

 

Ontario improving access to care with major expansion of Toronto Western  Hospital

• Province increasing capacity for surgeries and post-operative care

 

‘It’s done’ hospital CEO says about site of Windsor’s mega-hospital

 

How one Toronto hospital is coming back to life to bring relief to five more

 

Articles of Interest

 

Marijuana

Did a pot overdose kill a baby? Controversial paper on infant’s death raises questions

 

Opioid Crisis

Ontario expanding opioid response as crisis grows

 

HIV + Non-disclosure

HIV-positive community says Ontario’s ruling on non-disclosure cases is first step in long process

 

Professional Misconduct

Double dipping lawyers targeted in law society crackdown

Parry Sound doctor accused by nurses of sexual harassment and using amputated toe to make crude gestures

Psychiatrist reprimanded for advertising natural-health invention says he’s been denied free speech

 

Health Care

Yukon rolls out world first labels warning alcohol can cause cancer

Ontario auditor general finds wasted spending in health care, education and empty buildings

Statement by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on the Auditor General’s Report

Study on workplace violence on ‘indictment’ of Ontario healthcare system

 

Self-care

Best Cheesecake in Toronto

If you’re sick stay away from work if you can’t here is what doctors advise

 

Interesting Reads

When a tattoo says ‘do not resuscitate’ should doctors obey?

 

What’s happening in our city this weekend:

Things to do this Weekend

 

 

A weekly scan of new legislation and regulations important to the Ontario health sector, as well as articles of interest.

 

Bills

 

Bill 182, Compassionate Care Act, 2017

 

This Bill enacts the Compassionate Care Act, 2017, which requires the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to develop a provincial framework to support improved access to hospice palliative care. The Act requires the Minister to set out the provincial framework one year after the Bill comes into force, and within 5 years after the report is tabled, the Minister must prepare and table a report on the state of hospice palliative care, which should be published on a Government of Ontario website.

 

Introduced by Sam Oosterhoff, MPP (Niagara West – Glanbrook), the Bill was carried on First Reading on November 27, 2017

 

More information: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=5415

 

Status of Previously Reported Bills

 

Bill	Status
Bill 160 – Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017	Before the Standing Committee (General Government). Last consideration before the Committee was on November 29, 2017.
Bill 174 – Cannabis, Smoke-Free Ontario and Road Safety Statue Law Amendment Act, 2017	Consideration of a Bill on November 30, 2017 before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.

 

 

Proposed and Approved Regulations

 

No new regulations of interest.

Health Newsroom

 

Humber River Hospital breaking new ground with the opening of Canada’s First Hospital Command Centre

New CEO of North East LHIN – Jeremy Stevenson

Ontario improving wound care for patients with diabetes

• Province funding casts to treat diabetic foot ulcers

Ontario reducing carbon footprint boosting are at hospitals

• November 27, 2017 – Energy savings to be reinvested in patient care

New patient navigators to assist every person diagnosed with dementia to access the right care

• November 28, 2017 – Ontario expanding proven dementia program to every community across the Province

Ontario launches new tool to check if prescriptions are covered with OHIP+

• November 30, 2017 – One month until 4,400 drugs will be free for anyone age 24 and under

 

Articles of Interest

Marijuana

Is Quebec missing out on the marijuana boom?

Durham College offers class on cannabis business as legalization looms

Joint Agreement: Delta 9 to grow pot for Canada’s largest marijuana producer

 

Professional Misconduct

Ontario’s medical regulator cracking down on doctors over ‘offensive’ cyberbullying

 

Health Care

The radical ex-hippie who infiltrated Ontario’s health-care establishment

Man who inspired Ice Bucket Challenge dies after ALS battle

1 in 5 Canadians infected with HIV doesn’t know it

Patients needing admission to hospital stuck in ER longer, report says

Sunnybrook introduces program to prevent preterm and stillbirths in Ontario

 

First Nations

Trudeau government withdraws court case on health care for First Nations children

 

Self-care

Food you probably don’t need to refrigerate (and ones you do)

Every new title coming to Netflix Canada in December

 

Interesting Reads

The big shifts about to hit the Supreme Court of Canada

Coffee Taste Test: Tim Hortons vs. McDonald’s

As a doctor, I often use the phrase ‘a good death’ – but I’m rethinking it after losing my grandma