B.C. doctor's college and recruitment service hit with lawsuit by Australian doctor

Almost a decade after he started the process of transferring his medical licence from Australia to Canada, a Melbourne-trained general practitioner has sued the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and Health Match B.C. Dr. Brian Nathan, who moved his family in 2013 to the Vancouver area, filed a notice of claim in B.C. Supreme Court last year alleging that both organizations were negligent in their duties when they led him to believe he was eligible to apply for provisional-family registration in the province, according to a CBC News report. In his lawsuit, Dr. Nathan asked that both organizations be held liable for his loss of income from selling his practice in Australia as well as for costs from college application fees and from moving his family to Canada. Read: Why is one of Canada's most beautiful places steadily losing doctors? "At all material times, Health Match and the College knew or ought to have known that the plaintiff was not eligible,” stated the claim, which also said that "at all material times, the plaintiff was ineligible for 'provisional-family' registration.” At the heart of the lawsuit is information Dr. Nathan said Health Match B.C. gave him in February 2013, when he contacted the recruitment service to ask how could practice in the province. According to the statement of claim, Health Match B.C. said at the time he would need to follow the provisional-family registration route which would require two years of postgraduate training approved by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and 44 weeks of rotations in seven disciplines. Dr. Nathan said the B.C. college—to whom he paid a $600 application fee—approved his action plan for meeting the requirements for provisional family registration. But when he completed a self-assessment questionnaire on the CFPC website in August 2019, he learned he would never be eligible for provisional-family registration in B.C. because of the path he took to becoming registered in Australia. Read: There's no place at home: Why thousands of Canadian graduates from overseas med schools can't work here "Despite being in direct correspondence with the plaintiff since early 2013 and with regular exchanges occurring between October 2017 and August 2019 the College and Health Match failed to advise the plaintiff of the correct route for licensure in British Columbia," Dr. Nathan’s claim stated. The college and Health Match B.C. both deny responsibility for Dr. Nathan’s losses. The college applied to have the suit dismissed but that application was denied on November 29 by a B.C. Supreme Court judge. Health Match B.C. has said it does not have the power to decide about eligibility for medical licence and that potential applicants for B.C. licensure as a physician should do a “self-assessment and a thorough review of provided information.” "Health Match works in tandem with candidates who are themselves expected to carefully review the provided information, provide the requested materials and inquire with the appropriate bodies if questions arise." Read: Are you a new family practice grad? B.C. has a sweet offer for you

B.C. doctor's college and recruitment service hit with lawsuit by Australian doctor

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