Second

Session, 50th General Assembly

Charles III, 2023

BILL 31

AN ACT TO AMEND THE

PATIENT SAFETY ACT

Received

and Read the First Time ................................................................

Second

Reading ............................................................................................

Committee .....................................................................................................

Third

Reading ...............................................................................................

Royal

Assent .................................................................................................

HONOURABLE TOM

OSBORNE

Minister of Health and

Community Services

Ordered to be printed by

the Honourable House of Assembly

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This Bill would amend the Patient Safety Act to

add

definitions for "correctional

facility" and "staff member";

authorize a quality assurance

activity committee to require a staff member to provide information, documents

or records that relate to a close call or occurrence that is being reviewed or

investigated;

clarify that health care workers,

persons under the authority of a regional health authority and staff members are

required to provide information, documents or records that a quality assurance

activity committee considers necessary;

include a staff member in the

list of individuals and entities that are protected from legal action for

releasing information in good faith in accordance with the Act; and

incorporate gender-neutral

language.

A BILL

AN ACT TO AMEND THE PATIENT SAFETY ACT

Analysis

S.2 Amdt.

Definitions

S.8 Amdt.

Quality assurance information to minister

S.10 Amdt.

Release of information

S.17 Amdt.

Disclosure to patient

S.19 Amdt.

Membership

S.23 Amdt.

Protection from liability

Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and

House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

SNL2017 cP-3.01

(1) Section 2 of the Patient Safety Act is amended by adding immediately after paragraph

(

c) the following:

(c.1) "correctional facility" means a place of lawful confinement in the province

including a jail, prison, lockup, place of imprisonment, camp or correctional

institution where health services are provided, but does not include

(2) Section 2 of the Act is amended by deleting

the word "and" at the end of paragraph (t), deleting the period at

the end of paragraph (

u) and substituting a semi-colon and the word "and"

and by adding immediately after paragraph (

u) the following:

(v) "staff member" means correctional officers and other persons

employed by or under contract with the Department of Justice and Public Safety

at a correctional facility.

Section 8 of the Act is amended by deleting the

words "his or her" and substituting the words "the minister's".

3. (1) Subsection 10(3) of the Act is amended by

deleting the words "his or her personal health information" and

substituting the words "personal health information about the person".

(2) Subsection 10(4) of the Act is repealed and

the following substituted:

(4) For the purpose of carrying out its duties and

responsibilities under this Act, a quality assurance activity committee may require

the following persons who have information, or the custody or control of a

document or record, relating to a close call or an occurrence being reviewed or

investigated to provide the information, document or record in accordance with

the regulations:

(

a) a health care provider;

(

b) a person under the authority of a regional

health authority; and

(

c) a staff member.

(3) Section 10 of the Act is amended by adding

immediately after subsection (4) the following:

(4.1) A person referred to in subsection (4) shall

provide all information, documents or records required by the quality assurance

activity committee under subsection (4).

4. Subsection 17(5) of the Act is amended by

deleting the words "to him or her".

5. Paragraph 19(1)(

a) of the Act is amended by

deleting the words "his or her" and substituting the words "the

deputy minister's".

6. Subsection 23(1) of the Act is amended by

adding immediately after paragraph (

d) the following:

(d.1) a staff member;

King's Printer