How the CPSO and the HPARB Stole My Last Chance At Recovery

Gag-order, shmag-order. I can’t find one case from the last 27 years- where a psychiatric patient has won their case at the HPARB. That can’t be. Can it?

Hear it read by the author.

I’m not supposed to talk about how I ended up in palliative psychiatric care.

The Health Professions Appeal and Review Board informed me that I was never to acknowledge it. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and their Inquiries, Complaints, and Reports Committee- unleashed its legal department to ensure it.

Less than a year later, a documentary filmmaker I’d never met, (unsolicitedly and independently) brought the public record to my attention. I’m so grateful for her.

You complain to the college. The college forces an investigation you don’t want. Their committee makes a decision. They don’t pretend to care. If their decision is incompetent, you appeal. If you win, you go to the health board for medical professionals, who regulate the safety and ethical practice of medicine. They are self-governing. Best of luck. It’s the Wild West.

My “sealed” records aren’t sealed at all. Indeed, all four of my cases are published in the Canadian Legal Information Institute.

Those who regulate the safety and ethical practice of medicine in the province of Ontario who answer to no one, since they are self—governed have the authority to amend, and redact content in my records without notice, consent, or audit trail. While they didn’t publicly disclose the individual panel members from the ICRC in my records, the date of the panel meeting, file numbers, and the members who sat that day, are. It’s not complicated to cross-reference those involved.