Committee: Discipline
Appeal Status: No Appeal Appeal Decision Date:
Hearing Date: 18 Jun 2012 Decision Date: 18 Jun 2012
On June 18, 2012, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Karen Gaye Dockrill
committed an act of professional misconduct, in that she charged a fee for an
undertaking to be available to provide services to patients, in that she
contravened a regulation made under the Medicine Act, and in that she has
engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine
that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by
members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Dr. Dockrill admitted
the allegations.
Dr. Dockrill is a paediatrician who currently practises in Whitby, Ontario. In
2006, Dr. Dockrill established a business under the name "Mom and Baby Depot
Ltd." ("MBD"). From 2007 through 2010, Dr. Dockrill carried out a paediatric
practice through MBD that included both the provision of primary care to
children as well as paediatric consults on referral from a family physician.
Patients were accepted into Dr. Dockrill's primary care practice at a family's
request only when parents purchased and maintained a membership in MBD, for
which they were charged a fee. For a single child, this fee ranged between $500
and $2,200 per year. This fee failed to comply with the College's policy with
regard to Block Fees and Uninsured Services.
Ms X's newborn son was referred to Dr. Dockrill for primary care in June 2007
after he underwent surgery at a hospital for a serious condition. When
attempting to arrange her son's first appointment, Ms X was told that she would
have to pay $1,500 per year for a MBD membership as a condition of receiving
primary care from Dr. Dockrill. Ms X indicated she was not interested in paying
for the additional programs and services at MBD and only wanted basic insured
medical care. As a result, Ms X's son was not permitted to see Dr. Dockrill for
primary paediatric care.
Between 2008 and 2010, the MBD website advertised the benefits of membership in
MBD and Dr. Dockrill's professional services. In addition, between 2008 and
2010, the advertising on the MBD website included testimonials.
The Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:
1. the Registrar suspend Dr. Dockrill's certificate of registration for a
period of one (1) month, to commence within thirty (30) days of the date
of this Order;
2. the Registrar impose the following terms, conditions and limitations on
Dr. Dockrill's certificate of registration for an indefinite period of
time:
a. Dr. Dockrill shall at her own expense, successfully complete
College-facilitated instruction in Ethics no later than one (1)
year from the date of the Committee's Order;
b. Dr. Dockrill shall administer block fees for uninsured services in
a manner that is consistent with the College's policy on block fees
and uninsured services and, without in any way limiting the
generality of that requirement,
i. shall not discontinue seeing a patient or refuse to see a new
patient because that person chooses not to pay a block fee;
and
ii. shall not provide, or offer to provide, preferential services
to patients who agree to pay a block fee.
c. Dr. Dockrill shall cooperate with inspections of her practice by
representatives of the College for a period of nine (9) months
after the completion of the suspension, solely for the purpose of
ensuring compliance with this order. Such inspections shall be
conducted with at least 24 hours notice being given to Dr. Dockrill
before each visit. If any problems with Dr. Dockrill's block fee
practices are discovered within the 9-month time period, the
College is entitled to extend the monitoring inspections for a
further six (6) months.
3. Dr. Dockrill attend before the panel to be reprimanded;
4. Dr. Dockrill shall pay the College its costs of this proceeding in the
amount of $3,650.00 payable by no later than September 1, 2012.
See May 11 post on "WELLNESS CLINICS"
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