Alberta Regulator Says Doctors Don’t Need to Refer Patients for Services They Object to Morally

A treatment room in the emergency department at a hospital in Calgary, Alta., on Aug. 22, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta’s College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSA) is moving away from forcing doctors and health care professionals to support medical services like abortion, medical assistance in dying (MAID), and “gender-affirming” care.

The regulatory body has been updating its Standards of Practice, which raised concerns that it would force medical professionals to participate in services they oppose morally, according to a Jan. 3 blog post on the Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) website.