Doctors and Patients: The Line That Can't Be Crossed

Originally published at irvinschein.com.

No one can doubt that the College of Physicians and Surgeons plays an important role in supervising the behavior of doctors by, among other things, prosecuting doctors who commit professional misconduct by breaching the legislation that governs their behavior.

It might be suggested, however, that the rules governing that behaviour are so extreme that they lend themselves to abuse by unscrupulous patients.

The draconian nature of these rules is illustrated by the recent decision of the College's Discipline Committee to revoke the medical licence of Dr. Sammy Sliwin, a prominent Toronto plastic surgeon. Dr. Sliwin continues to practice because he has launched an appeal to the Divisional Court. He has been permitted to continue to practice until the appeal is heard. However, the circumstances surrounding the revocation of his licence lend themselves to a certain amount of head scratching if not outright disbelief.