Outcome of consultation: Risk level determination policy

LAO consulted on its risk policy for entity service providers from Sept. 14 to Oct. 26, 2022. Two town-hall style consultations were conducted online, and LAO received 41 written submissions.

LAO received valuable feedback and suggestions for specific changes that participants felt would make the policy clearer and fairer.

Feedback included the following:

• Concern that the risk matrix chart was not clear and could lead to confusion regarding where a particular clinic would be ranked in it.
• Discretion to determine a clinic’s risk level falls within a policy that is too broad and could negatively impact their communities.
• Comparison between a clinic with a few significant risks and one with many minor risks. Concern whether either of these could place the clinic anywhere from high to low risk, leading to too much uncertainty.
• Suggestion that LAO focus only on higher risks, and not disclose lower- level risks. Questions on how LAO and clinics communicate potential risks to one another.
• Concern about lack of an appeal process after decisions are made on a clinic’s risk level.
• Lengthen notice period from the time LAO informs a clinic of its risk level and a new agreement signing.
• Request for a quality assurance program to help clinics monitor compliance and overall risks.

Much of the feedback we received was incorporated into the final version of the policy. For further details, read the Public Consultation Feedback Summary for the Risk Level Determination Policy.