MLT Conduct

The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) fulfills its mandate of regulating the medical laboratory profession by appropriately handling issues that arise from the conduct of MLTs within the province. This is achieved through various ways which include self-disclosure, reports or inquiries, and complaints made to the College. Please see below for further details.

Self-Disclosure

One of the ways that concerns about MLTs are brought to the College’s attention is through Self-Disclosure. CMLTO registrants are required to file a self-report to the CMLTO whenever they:

have been found guilty of an offence
have a finding of professional negligence or malpractice made against them
are a member of another body that governs a profession inside or outside of Ontario
have a finding of professional misconduct or incompetence made against them by another body that governs a profession inside or outside of Ontario
have been charged with an offence, and the report shall include information about every bail condition or other restriction imposed on, or agreed to, by the member in connection with the charge.

The legislation states that a registrant’s report of these matters must be made as soon as possible to the College. Self-disclosures can be made at any time to the College by email, telephone, or letter.

Although there are professional conduct declarations included in the annual renewal process, registrants can and should inform the College as soon as possible of these matters to help facilitate next steps faster. Failing to report within the statutory timeframes can amount to professional misconduct which is separate and apart from the underlying issue that was supposed to be reported.

Reports & Inquiries

As one of Ontario’s self-regulated health professions, Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) are expected to understand and comply with the professional, legal, and ethical requirements governing their practice including the duty to report instances of incompetence, incapacity, and professional misconduct. For employers and facility operators, this is commonly achieved through Mandatory Reports.

Another method in which matters that relate to MLT conduct are brought to the attention of the College is through inquiries. These could include someone notifying the College about a newspaper article that refers to criminal charges against an MLT, or social media posts from a registrant.

Please note that these types of inquiries are only investigated if there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the registrant has engaged in professional misconduct, is incompetent, or incapacitated.

Information

CMLTO staff have put together a comprehensive FAQ resource that thoroughly details information that would be relevant to you as a Medical Laboratory Technologist, including:

What your employer, manager, facility operator, or partner/manager could report
Timing involved and where to send the report
What information the report should contain
Whether or not MLTs named in mandatory reports need to seek legal representation
How an investigation may impact an MLT’s registration with the CMLTO
Whether or not an MLT could appeal a decision made by the Inquiries, Complaints, and Repots Committee (ICRC)

The FAQ resource also contains a visual chart which outlines the different reporting requirements of each professional or organization.

For access to this resource, click here.

Complaints Process

A complaint is an issue or concern that someone may have about the practice of a Medical Laboratory Technologist. The CMLTO complaints process is accessible to everyone, including members of the public, or colleagues of a Medical Laboratory Technologist. The CMLTO can receive complaints through different methods including our online complaints form, email, telephone, fax, or letter.

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) looks into concerns about CMLTO Registrants to decide what action, if any, is needed. ICRC Policy 02 explains how the ICRC decides when to appoint an investigator. Investigations can start because of a complaint, a report, or an urgent situation, and they help protect the public while making sure registrants are treated fairly.

For more information on the CMLTO complaints process, click here

Sexual Abuse Resources for MLTs

Sexual abuse is one type of professional misconduct.

Schedule 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 defines sexual abuse as sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual relations, touching of a sexual nature, or behavior/remarks of a sexual nature by a College registrant toward a patient. The legislation also defines who a patient is, and states that a person is still a patient for the purposes of the sexual abuse provisions for one year after they would otherwise have stopped being a patient.

For more information on the CMLTO’s resources available regarding sexual abuse, please click here

Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality

Protecting privacy and maintaining confidentiality is non-negotiable; it is fundamental to MLT practice.

All healthcare professionals are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of personal health information (PHI). Failure to do so, intentionally or not, diminishes trust, harms patients, and is considered a privacy breach. Understanding what a privacy breach is, its consequences, and how to prevent them is essential to safe and ethical practice. The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee has no tolerance for Registrants who commit privacy breaches and recognizes the need for immediate intervention to address such conduct. For more information, visit our webpage dedicated to maintaining privacy in MLT. practice.