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News Release
Letter from the Medical Reform
Group of Ontario
to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
August 23, 1980
Dr. Michael Dixon,
Registrar College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
64 Prince Arthur
Toronto
Dear Dr. Dixon:
Regarding the incident reported in the press involving Josiane
Lechot and Dr. Willard Wilson, the Medical Reform Group strongly
urges the College to act quickly in its preliminary investigation
and to refer the matter to the Discipline Committee: Dr. Wilson
has publicly confirmed the basic fact of the case as reported, with
an extraordinary disregard for the laws which govern medical practice.
We refer to the Ontario Regulations under the Health Disciplines
Act, Section 26, Subsection 119 which brands as professional misconduct
"refusing to render a medically necessary service unless payment
... is received in advance ..."
Those of us who have occasion to refer our patients for abortions
know that the demand for money "up front" is not uncommon.
This is an area where some physicians know that payment can be exacted
from a desperate patient and use the situation to their financial
advantage. The College must act decisively in the present case,
to put an end to this disgraceful practice.
Our suggestion to opted-out physicians who find themselves in Dr.
Wilson's position is that they participate in the health insurance
plan. Childish and irresponsible tactics such as his, involving
refusing service to a patient on the operating table, must be loudly
and unequivocally denounced by the profession, whose image is deservedly
tarnished by the membership of such physicians.
Sincerely yours,
Debby Copes, M.D. For the Steering Committee
Medical Reform Group of Ontario
cc:
Dr. Robert MacMillan
The Hon. Dennis Timbrell
The Globe and Mail
Subject Headings: Abortion
Rights – Community
Health – Community
Health Centres – Drug
Substitution – Epidemiology
– Epidemiology/Community
Medicine – Health
Administration – Health
Care Budgets – Health
Care Cost Containment – Health
Care Costs – Health
Care Delivery – Health
Care Finance & Fund-Raising – Health
Care in Canada – Health
Care in Ontario – Health
Care in the U.K. – Health
Care in the U.S. – Health
Care Myths – Health
Care Reform – Health
Care Resources – Health
Care Services – Health
Care Workers – Health
Clinics – Health
Determinants – Health
Economics – Health
Expenditures – Health
Issues – Health
Policy – Health
Policy/Seniors – Health
Service Organizations – Health/Social
Justice Issues – Health
Statistics – Health/Strategic
Planning – History
– Hospitals
– Labour
Medicine – Medical
Associations – Medical
Costs/Foreign – Medical
Education – Medical
Ethics – Medical
Human Resources – Medical
Personnel – Medical
Research Funding – Medicare
– Medication
Use – Medication
Use/Seniors – NAFTA/Health
– Occupational
Health & Safety – Patients'
Rights – Pharmaceuticals
– Physician
Compensation – Physician
Human Resources – Pro-Choice
Issues – Public
Health – Publications/Health
– Social
Policy – Women's
Health
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