The patient needed formal feedback quickly, but it took six months, and that's far from the whole story.
The sanction will remain on Dr. Franklyn Vincent’s permanent record, but he can continue to practice, said Dr. Gus Grant, registrar and chief executive officer of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia .
“However, on December 9, 2021, Dr. Vincent wrote another letter to Patient X’s legal counsel stating that after a chart review, he concluded that Patient X’s ear problems were not caused by an injury related to the fall and that Patient X ‘must have fabricated the story to make claim.’”Vincent wrote to the investigation committee that “when he reviewed Patient X’s chart after his committee interview, he found the letter he sent to her lawyer regarding her hearing impairment was incorrect.
“Dr. Vincent stated he did not inform Patient X he was writing the second letter to her lawyers as she was no longer his patient, and he had been advised not to contact her during the investigation of her complaint. Dr. Vincent’s legal counsel stated Dr. Vincent did not feel it was necessary to use alternate methods of letting her know he was writing the letter.”
“Dr. Vincent did not provide such an opinion in his first reply. Dr. Vincent did state Patient X did not have symptoms of hearing loss and loss of balance before her fall and felt she should not receive compensation for any injuries suffered during the fall.”The investigation committee"is also concerned about the tenor of the language used by Dr. Vincent in his December 9, 2021 letter,” said the decision.