Copy of Letter to Minister Regarding Mandatory Blood Testing

May 29, 2008

The Honorable R. Bartolucci
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
18th Floor Minister’s Office
25 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON
M7A 1Y6
Dear Minister Bartolucci;

The Ontario Society of Clinical Perfusion would like to make draw your attention to an oversight in the Mandatory Blood Testing Act of 2006. This act, while progressive and important in protecting workers in the public sector, and by extension the general public, has created an unfortunate situation. By specific inclusion of professions, there may be an implied exclusion of others.

The only front line health care workers recognized as prescribed classes under the current legislation are the members of the Ontario College of Nurses, paramedics and paramedic students, or those providing emergency assistance to an injured person. Hospital based workers who are not members of the Ontario College of Nurses appear to have been overlooked.

The Ontario Society of Clinical Perfusion represents health care professionals who operate the heart-lung machine used during open heart surgery. In this procedure, blood is diverted from the patient as it enters the heart and is circulated through the heart lung machine where venous blood is converted to arterial blood before it is returned to the patient just beyond the outflow from the heart. At any number of times during this event perfusionists are called upon to draw blood samples and preform point of care blood testing. It may also become necessary to add or remove components from the circuit. In rare events, perfusionists may have to carry out major interventions with the machine, which carries with it the risk of signifficant exposure to the patient’s blood.

While members of the profession employ safe work practices during the course of the job, it is the unexpected or unusual situations that we occassionally encounter that may expose us to direct contact with the patient’s blood. Even the most careful professional will occasionally suffer accidental needle sticks or come in contact directly with the patient’s blood.

The Ontario Society of Clinical Perfusion respectfully requests a meeting with you or your representative to discuss inclusion of the members of the Ontario Society of Clinical Perfusion as a “prescribed class of persons” pursuant to paragraph 11 (1) c. of the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006.

Respectfully Yours

Graham Walsh, CPC, CCP
President, Ontario Society of Clinical Perfusion