Regulatory Spotlight
Building Awareness, Protecting Patients:
Bill 21
| Concerning Sexual Misconduct
In November 2018, the Alberta government passed Bill 21: An Act to Protect Patients which amends the Health Professions Act (HPA) and introduces a number of new requirements that apply to all regulated health professionals in Alberta.
The purpose of Bill 21 is to better protect patients from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct by regulated health professionals. Each regulatory college, including the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA), will define who constitutes a ‘patient’ in their Standards of Practice, but generally speaking, a patient can be anyone being provided professional services. The amendments to the HPA define ‘sexual abuse’ and ‘sexual misconduct’ and establish obligations on health professionals and regulatory colleges. The new rules aim to ensure consistent penalties are applied to all regulated health professionals for findings of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct. If complaints involve conduct that falls under these definitions, then specific obligations are triggered, including: • restrictions on the use of informal resolution procedures,
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care | VOLUME 33 ISSUE 1
