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VoHCA has been asked to assist in the protest of
the conviction of Dr Adams by the CPSO
Helke Ferrie, of the Toronto segment of Citizens for Choice
in Health Care, has written the
attached letter of protest and would like it on the website
in order that his patients or supoporters
can download it and send it to the Premier, Health Minister,
critics, local MPP, etc.
Fax #'s are
Harris 416 325 3745
Witmer, 416 326 1571
Lankin 416 325 3336,
McLeod 416 325 9004
Dr C Rao, President CPSO 416 961 8035.
A press conference at Queen's Park is planned for June 19th
Some background information on the Citizens for Choice in Health Care can be found at these sites;
Citizens
for Choice in Health Care
GPs encouraged to go alternative
There's a mass epidemic of under-treated pain out
there, but it hasn't stopped the College
of
Physicians
from pouncing on an opiate specialist
CPSO News Release
Pain
on Trial: The Case of Dr. Frank Adams
CBC
Radio Broadcast September 17, 2000
Listen to the interview with Dr. Frank Adams.
C
o l u m n s : M a r t i n O ' M a l l e y
Dr.
Frank Adams: love, pain, the whole damn thing
Download a copy of VoHCA's submission
to the Premier as a guide for your submission.
VoHCA
Voices on Health-care Concerns & Accountability
Box 27018, Gardiners P.O., Kingston, ON, K7M 8W4
Tel: (613) 389-5599 Fax: (613)
389-8036
Fax: (416) 325-3745
Dear Premier Harris:
I am writing to you today to protest the conviction by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) of Dr Frank Adams of Kingston, Ontario, an internationally renowned pain specialist. I urge you to cancel the sentencing to take place on July 18th when his license is to be suspended. I am a supporter of Dr Adams as many of our members have commented on his outstanding abilities. I have taken the trouble to inform myself of his disciplinary trial and know that:
1. Even members of the CPSO council are appalled at this
conviction (Dr Ellen Thompson).
2. The expert witness for the CPSO, Dr Dwight Moulin,
did not recommend a conviction of "incompetence", nor removal of license,
suspension or restriction.
3. The conviction is based on case histories with excellent
medical outcomes, but that the CPSO opined that patient outcome is not
relevant".
4. The discipline case was commenced without legally
mandatory disclosure given cause.
5. Dr Adams was never given "reasonable grounds", as
required by law.
We now have a senate report ( June 6th, Senator S. Carstairs) showing that pain management in Canada is a disgrace. Indeed it is, as the CPSO has just shown by convicting a world-class pain specialist without a single patient or peer complaint against him, on purely arbitrary grounds. This is not acceptable.
I respectfully submit that patient outcome is the only basis on which medicine must at all times function. The American Federation of State Board Examiners (the US equivalent of the Canadian Colleges) has officially recognised patient outcome as the only valid criterion for medical practice. The National Institute of Health in the USA also placed chronic pain management into the category of a medical emergency requiring immediate and complete medical intervention. In fact, doctors have been prosecuted for NOT providing adequate pain management in the US (see New York Times, Sept 4, 1999).
Please do the needful to stop these improper proceedings and prevent the sentence from occurring on July 18th. Canada can not afford to lose such a highly qualified expert
Yours sincerely
Gord Lever, Chair