In response to the most recent email thread regarding "lobbying".
I think it is most appropriate (and secure) to air our grievances in our own house. I don't like emails, and neither should you when communicating with your patients. You all should be using an encrypted secure messaging platform to transmit photos and other communications with your patients containing sensitive information.
I appreciate everyone's input and share your frustrations.
Some Colleges, including COCOO, on their own decided to move quickly to limit practice to everything but "essential and emergency" services. Later the government published its "Essentials List" that applied that ban to every regulated profession. Some Colleges, such as the College of Physiotherapists, didn't jump the gun, waited and after publication of the Essentials List followed a more relaxed approach. Many expected the government to slap those few Colleges on their wrists, but it hasn't happened yet.
The Colleges who instituted the ban are inclined to keep it there for liability reasons until the government decides to relax or remove the ban. In short, they are waiting for the government to make the move and thereby assume the responsibility (and liability). The situation is very fluid, but we understand that the government intends to keep the ban in place until early May. CG Group are in literally daily contact on our behalf with the Ministry, the Command Committee and with Public Health Ontario to start relaxing the ban at least for certain professions whose practices raise the least risk. At this time, there is no receptivity because the data suggests that the number of cases continues to increase and there is no support from the College to relax the restrictions.
I've been nonstop trying to keep COCOO informed about what we should be doing and communicating to them what is going on in ON, in Canada and across the globe. I've been in contact with our colleagues in podiatry, medicine, infectious disease, etc in Canada, USA and Europe and trying to keep everyone connected to what is happening on the ground here in Ontario.
I think if we are to lobby anyone it should be the professional members of our College. They are there for a reason? They should then in turn "lobby" the Ministry for our safe return to practice. Our services should all be considered "essential". That's why we are regulated no?
I'd like to discuss this in more detail asap via a member's only conference call this week.
Who's up for it?
