Mandatory Reports
Mandatory reporting helps us protect the public by ensuring that we can investigate incidents of possible professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity.
As a naturopath, you have a legal obligation under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (the Code) to report certain information to the College as described below. You must also report patient privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
By requiring reports under certain circumstances, the RHPA and the accompanying the Code describe the duties of employers, facility operators and Registrants to ensure that the College receives all pertinent information about Registrants who may not be practicing safely. Those who report should not be concerned about getting a Registrant into trouble, as keeping the public safe is always the priority.
Who is required to report
There are three groups of people required by the Code to make mandatory reports in certain situations:
- facility operators,
- employers, and
- naturopathic doctors.
What must be reported
You must self-report to the College when you are:
- guilty of an offence,
- have a finding of professional negligence or malpractice against you, or
- have a finding or proceeding in another jurisdiction.
Find more information on Mandatory self-reporting here.
You must report to the College when you believe another Registrant:
- may have committed sexual abuse of a patient,
- may be incompetent, or
- may be incapacitated.
Patient privacy breaches
Registrants have been legally required to report patient privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario since October 1, 2017.
They have also been required to start tracking patient privacy breaches as of January 1, 2018 and report annually to the Commissioner starting in 2019.
Additionally, Registrants must report certain privacy breaches to the College.
Click here for details about situations that must be reported as privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
How and when to report
Self-reporting
For all self-reporting obligations listed above, you must report either upon application for registration with the College or, if you are already registered, within 30 days of receiving notice of the finding.
Sexual abuse, incompetence and incapacity
These must be filed within 30 days of the finding, or immediately if you have reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the Registrant is a danger to patients. Find more information on this page.
Privacy breaches
These must be reported via the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s online Privacy Breach Report as soon as you are aware of the breach.
Failure to report
It is considered professional misconduct if a Registrant fails to report the above circumstances. If we become aware of such a failure, we can investigate the matter.
Failure to make a mandatory report as a Registrant, employer or facility operator is an offence as outlined in section 93 of the Code, punishable with a fine of up to $25,000 for a first offence.
Any facility operator, employer or Registrant who makes a report in good faith under the requirements of the Code will have immunity against any action or proceeding, even if the report is subsequently deemed to be unfounded.