Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I attempted to describe what I think is a process that is in place that would allow a panel of peers of physicians to receive complaints and deal with complaints about the conduct of physicians who practice in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister: could she please describe for me what the process is? What is in place currently in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a very specified procedure for filing complaints under the Medical Profession Act. Anyone who has a concern with a physician or any other medical practitioner could write… Well, they could first talk to the chief executive officer and the people in their authority. Then there is what’s called a complaints officer under the Medical Profession Act, and the complaints officer would review the complaints. Complaints could go into alternative dispute resolution or any other ways of sorting it out, or the matter could go into a board of inquiry where a board made up of appointed people would look at those complaints. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the board of inquiry, who sits on that board? How do they get on that board? What is the Minister’s relationship with that board? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services appoints members to this… It’s not a panel that exists throughout the year. It’s formed when a complaint is moved to that board of inquiry and a panel is selected from individuals appointed by the Minister. The panel will include at least one doctor who is licensed to practice in the NWT, one doctor who is licensed to practice in a province, and one member of the public who is not a doctor. So it’s usually made up of three members on that board. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, during this Minister’s tenure as Minister of Health and Social Services, has she ever made appointments to a board of inquiry to look into a matter of a complaint about conduct of a physician practicing in the Northwest Territories, or is she aware of any time in the recent past when a board of inquiry has been appointed? Thank you.
No, Mr. Speaker, I have not appointed a board of inquiry during my time as Minister. Thank you.
Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Mr. Speaker, is the Minister aware of any board of inquiry that was appointed to deal with a complaint where that complaint, to this day, has not been concluded or disposed of? Are there outstanding complaints that have been raised against any medical professionals that have not yet been concluded? Thank you.
I think I would have to undertake to get more information on that. I am aware that there are a couple of cases, but these things have a way of taking a long time. I can’t tell you exactly when it started or where it is. I don’t have all that information in front of me, so I will undertake to get back to the Member on where -- I can’t remember exactly what she asked -- but I will have to undertake to get back to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
