Concerns about the Health of a Respiratory Therapist
Complaints or reports relating to a physical or mental health condition which affects a respiratory therapist’s ability to practise safely (“capacity”) may be referred to the non-disciplinary Fitness to Practise process. The Fitness to Practise process may be initiated because of a complaint or a report from an employer, colleague or member of the public; because of information received during another process; or because the respiratory therapist self-reported a capacity issue to the Regulator. The goal of the Fitness to Practise process is to support respiratory therapists to return to practice once it is safe to do so. Participation in the Fitness to Practise process is voluntary.
The respiratory therapist must meet certain eligibility criteria to participate in the Fitness to Practise process, including confirmation that a health concern has impacted on their professional practice, often based on an assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
The Fitness to Practise process usually involves at least two stages. In the first stage, the respiratory therapist will enter into an agreement to remedy their health condition by participating in specific treatment. Often during this stage, the respiratory therapist agrees not to practice or, in some cases (with Fitness to Practise Committee approval) to restrict or limit their practice. This both protects the public until the health condition improves and allows the respiratory therapist to focus on their wellness. Before entering the second stage, the Regulator will confirm that the respiratory therapist has sufficiently recovered from their health condition such that they can practise safely with appropriate support. At this stage, the respiratory therapist agrees to comply with certain requirements which create supportive conditions for them to return to practise in a safe and controlled manner. This plan may include ongoing treatment, monitoring, limitations on working conditions, and retraining. The Fitness to Practise Committee (which includes both respiratory therapists and public representatives) must approve this plan.
A failure to comply with the requirements at any stage of the Fitness to Practise process may result in additional conditions, a requirement to repeat an earlier stage, or removal from the process.
Because the Fitness to Practise process relates to the health of a respiratory therapist, information shared with other individuals is limited in order to respect confidentiality.
In certain cases where a respiratory therapist is experiencing a health issue which warrants intervention but has not necessarily resulted in an inability to practise safely, alternative measures such as an informal resolution may be appropriate.