This Code of Conduct sets out the minimum standard of conduct for all members of Doctors of BC when carrying out work on behalf of the Association, including attending meetings, communicating on/via electronic platforms, and/or interacting with Doctors of BC staff.
Our Ombudsperson
Doctors of BC has appointed an impartial and unbiased Ombudsperson who is available to support members in managing issues related to the Doctors of BC Code of Conduct.
The Ombudsperson can provide you with a safe space to talk confidentially about a question or concern involving the Code of Conduct and to explore options to help resolve them. The Ombudsperson listens to understand issues from the perspective of those involved while remaining neutral and impartial with respect to the facts. The Ombudsperson does not judge or decide who is right or wrong in the situation.
Any Doctors of BC member may contact the Ombudsperson about a question or concern that arises through the business of the Association. There is no charge for this service.
When to contact the Ombudsperson
The Ombudsperson will only address questions or concerns that involve the Code of Conduct and will not handle issues, such as:
- Concerns between members that occur outside of the business of the Association;
- Questions about the reason for a specific decision or the way in which the decision was made;
- Concerns about the Association’s staff;
- Concerns from the public about the conduct of doctors;
- Concerns involving other organizations, including the Divisions of Family Practice and Medical Staff Associations;
- Concerns about the behaviour of a non-member on a committee;
- Professional misconduct; or
- Criminal activity.
What the Ombudsperson can do
With regards to a question or concern, the Ombudsperson can do the following:
(a) explore whether the question or concern has merit;
(b) use informal means to assist in resolving a question or concern through advice, referrals, discussion, and exploration of available options; and
(c) make recommendations to address situations raised by a question or concern.
What the Ombudsperson cannot do
The Ombudsperson has limits as to what they can do. The Ombudsperson cannot be an advocate for anyone involved. The Ombudsperson does not take sides in any issue. The Ombudsperson cannot compel anyone to take or not to take certain actions. The Ombudsperson cannot provide any legal advice nor legal representation. The Ombudsperson cannot overturn policies or decisions of the Board, the Representative Assembly, or a Committee.
Moreover, the Ombudsperson cannot, in their capacity as the Ombudsperson:
- Impose any form of discipline or institute corrective measures against a Doctors of BC member;
- Make binding recommendations on the Board;
- Receive notice or act as an office of notice for Doctors of BC;
- Create policies;
- Form any type of formal relationships such as a solicitor-client relationship; nor
- Become involved in a legal dispute.
Privacy and the confidentiality
The Ombudsperson will maintain the privacy and the confidentiality to the extent that is possible of those involved as much as possible by:
(a) protecting the personal information of those involved;
(b) conducting the review in private;
(c) not including the identities of persons involved in any report provided to the Board; and
(d) limiting access to the Ombudsperson’s records.