Steps For Leaving Your Practice

If you are a Manitoba registrant and are planning to close, leave, or move your medical practice, the steps you must follow can be found in Part 3. Practice Management: Closing, Leaving or Moving a Medical Practice of the Standard of Practice - Practice Management.

Part 3: Practice Management: Closing, Leaving or Moving a Medical Practice

This Part sets out the requirements in closing, leaving or moving a medical practice in addition to those set out in Section 13 and 14 of the Regulation as follows:

1. 1. Notice of Intention to Close, Leave or Move

13(1) A member must give notice of the member's intention to close their medical practice, to take a leave of absence or to relocate their practice or otherwise cease to practice medicine in Manitoba to:

• • the member's patients or their representatives;
  • CPSM;
  • other members with whom the member refers or consults;
  • the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living;
  • any regional health authority in which the member has privileges;
  • a personal care home at which the member has privileges that is not operated by a regional health authority;
  • if applicable, Canadian Medical Protective Association;
  • Doctors Manitoba.

13(2) The notice must include:

• • the date of closure, absence, relocation, or other cessation of practice;
  • information about where the patient's records are to be located; and how the records can be transferred to another member or how copies can be obtained; and
  • particulars of any arrangements for care that have been made for the member's patients.

13(3) Clause (2)(b) does not apply if the patient records are maintained by a trustee under The Personal Health Information Act who employed, engaged or granted privileges to the member.

Storage and Disposition of Patient Records and Supplies

14(1) A member who closes their medical practice or takes a leave of absence must:

• • ensure the secure storage of any patient records for the remainder of the retention period required by subsection 11(3) and the retention of appointment records for the remainder of the period required by subsection 10(2) and the subsequent destruction of the information in accordance with The Personal Health Information Act; and
  • give the CPSM a copy of the notice sent to patients and information about to whom the notice was sent and the arrangements that have been made for the secure storage of the patient records and appointment records.

The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba Standards of Practice of Medicine

14(2) A member who ceases to engage in medical practice, temporarily or permanently, or who closes a medical practice, must safely dispose of medication, laboratory specimens, equipment and supplies.

14(3) The obligations under this section are in addition to any other requirements relating to patient records under the Act, The Personal Health Information Act, and any other enactment, by-law, standard of practice, code of ethics and practice direction with which a member must comply.

3.1.1.  The member must individually notify (i.e. not through a notice posted in the office) of

the closure, relocation, leave of absence or cessation of practice each patient who:

3.1.1.i. has an appointment booked prior to the date of closure, absence or relocation;

3.1.1.ii. calls to arrange an appointment prior to the date of closure, absence or relocation.

3.1.2.  The notice to the CPSM must include:

3.1.2.i. the date of closure, relocation, absence or cessation of practice;

3.1.2.ii. a forwarding mailing address and contact information for the member; and

3.1.2.iii. if the member is ceasing medical practice in Manitoba, forward all unused Manitoba Prescribing Practices Program (M3P) prescription forms in the possession of the member to the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association and notify the CPSM when this has been done.

3.1.3.  Unless a member is leaving a medical practice due to illness or other urgent circumstances, at least 90 days' notice must be provided to each of the persons described in subsection (1).

3.2.  Alternate Care Arrangements

3.2.1.  A primary care physician who intends to close or reduce his or her practice must make reasonable attempts to arrange suitable alternative care of patients, particularly those who are in the course of treatment at the time of the closure. The member must document those efforts.

3.2.2.  Even if a member is unable to make suitable alternative arrangements for the care of patients, the member must make arrangements to ensure patients or their caregivers have appropriate access to information contained in the patient's record.

3.2.3.  If the member is a specialist, the care of the patient may, by agreement of the specialist and the referring member, be returned to the referring member.

3.3.  Information on New Location

A member practising in a location where another member previously practiced must, on request, provide information to any person about the new location of the member who has moved, if that member is aware of it.