Sponsor-Only Oversight of a Defined Licence Physician

Background

Under the Medical Act (2011)¹ and Medical Practitioners Regulations², physicians granted a Defined licence (DL) under the Conditional Register are required to have a Sponsor and Supervisor for the duration of that licence. Physicians issued a Defined licence or an Academic licence prior to the enactment of the Medical Act (2011) on January 1, 2015, may have been permitted, in some circumstances, to practice under Sponsor-only Oversight in accordance with the College-Directed Supervision Framework – Responsibilities and Outline by Level ³.

Purpose

This policy outlines the criteria for a physician on a Defined licence to maintain their practice under Sponsor-only Oversight.

Policy

For a physician to practice under Sponsor-only Oversight, the Defined licence holder must demonstrate:

1. they have the support of their Sponsor; and
2. the most recent issuance of their Defined licence is prior to January 1, 2015 or the terms of their licence were previously approved by the Registrar.

Requirements to Maintain Sponsor-only Oversight Status

1. The physician’s Sponsor reaffirms support for continuation of sponsorship at the level of Sponsor-only Oversight at the time of annual licensing renewal, through the completion of the Annual Sponsorship Renewal Evaluation⁴.
2. The physician’s practice is deemed satisfactory to the Registrar and is based on consideration of the following:
   1. Annual Sponsorship Renewal Evaluations⁴;
   2. Past Supervision and Sponsorship reports;
   3. Investigations and disciplinary matters in this or another jurisdiction;
   4. Practice assessments and audits, excepting those protected under the Medical Act;
   5. Demonstrated commitment to professional development and practice improvement;
   6. Any other matters relevant to the physician’s capacity, competence, and character.
3. A change in Sponsor-only Oversight status to a higher level of supervision may be (re)imposed at any time according to the provisions of the College policy Supervision Levels for College-Directed Supervision. ⁵
4. A physician granted Sponsor-only Oversight under this policy may be considered as a Supervisor for another Defined licensee, as per the College policy Approval of Supervisors for College-Directed Supervision. ⁶

Resources

1. Medical Act 2011
2. Medical Practitioners Regulations
3. College-Directed Supervision Framework – Responsibilities and Outline by Level
4. Annual Sponsorship Evaluation
5. Supervision Levels for College-Directed Supervision
6. Approval of Supervisors for College-Directed Supervision