April 22, 2021
Today the government announced a new order under the EMPCA that authorizes health care professionals to provide patient care services outside their regular scope of practice:
“Regulated health professionals, either from Ontario or out-of-province, are now authorized to engage outside of their regular scope of practice, provided that it is necessary in response to the pandemic and is consistent with the duties that are assigned or the privileges that are granted by the hospital, and the professional acts in a manner that is consistent with any measures taken by a hospital as part of its efforts to to respond to, prevent and alleviate the outbreak of COVID-19. Hospitals are responsible to ensure that staff members are only assigned tasks or asked to deliver services that they are reasonably qualified to provide. Under the EMCPA health professionals acting under the Act or the authority of an order issued under the Act will not be subject to any action or other proceedings for actions they take or perform under the Act, or an order made under the Act, or for neglect or default in performance of these acts, where they are done in good faith”.
The Deputy Minister of Health further states:
“I am requesting that all health regulatory Colleges provide any necessary support to their registrants who are impacted by these orders”.
Unifor recommends that our members exercise their right to refuse work that they are not trained, skilled or adequately orientated to perform.
The regulatory change can be found at this link:
305/21 Regulated Health Professionals
https://files.ontario.ca/solgen-oic-305-21.pdf
If you have any questions please reach out to your union committee, your local union or your service representative.
