Mr. Speaker, Your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its Report on Bill 40, An Act to Amend the Medical Profession Act, and commend it to the House.

Introduction

Bill 40, An Act to Amend the Medical Profession Act, was first introduced by the Department of Health and Social Services on November 25, 2021, and then referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review. A plain language summary for Bill 40 was tabled on November 26, 2021.

Bill 40 proposes changes to the Medical Profession Act to:

• Exempt physicians in other provinces and territories providing virtual care to NWT residents from needing an NWT licence when there is a referral from an NWT doctor or nurse practitioner;

• Clarifies a regulation-making power to adapt and adopt standards of practice for the practice of medicine;

• Allows the Minister of Health and Social Services to enter into agreements with other governments or organizations about physician licensing;

• Creates a new category of registration and licensing for physicians practicing virtual care without a referral; and

• Allows registers of physicians to be posted online.

The main changes made in committee include:

1. Removal of the virtual care register; and

2. Requiring the Minister to consult with the Northwest Territories Medical Association before recommending regulations on standards for the practice of medicine.

The committee thanks everyone who took the time to participate in the review and provided us with comments and concerns on Bill 40.

This bill provides a permanent arrangement for virtual healthcare services based on NWT referrals. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the state of emergency, the Minister of Health and Social Services authorized virtual care through a ministerial directive. In accordance with section 3.3 of the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, the Department of Health and Social Services made a temporary agreement with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta to exempt its members from having to licence in the NWT and to continue to provide services needed in the NWT.

The agreement was renewed by one year and will expire by the end of 2022. This bill provides a more permanent arrangement.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass to my colleague for Great Slave further reading of this document. Thank you.