Mar 15, 2018
Patients of a University of Ottawa Health Services doctor accused of sex crimes are “free” to find a new family doctor elsewhere, says the clinic. But making the switch will cost them.
Marie Noreau, a longtime patient of the criminally charged Dr. Vincent Nadon, says she was told it would cost $250 to transfer the medical records of her family of six to a new doctor. That’s $50 for the first file and $40 for each subsequent file.
“We can pay that if we have to, but there may be people where that’s prohibitive for them moving forward with their health care,” Noreau said. “It’s a considerable amount of money for a family to pay for something they’ve had nothing to do with.”
“I thought it was an injustice,” she said.
UOHS’s executive director confirmed that the service is charging Nadon’s former patients to transfer their medical records if they leave instead of getting care from other staff before they are transferred to a new physician. A replacement is expected to be hired within the next three months, Christopher Fisher said in an emailed statement.
