Ontario Doctor Supervised After Controversial MAID Cases

Family physician Dr. James MacLean of London, Ontario was placed under six-month supervision by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) after an investigation identified two serious and significant breaches in his Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) practice. In June 2023 he performed a MAID assessment of 45-year-old Thomas Dillon, who suffered from Chron’s disease, at a Tim Hortons. The procedure was carried out in January 2024 after a second meeting at the same restaurant and a drive to a holding facility. A separate complaint concerned 67-year-old Bradley Stewart, a cancer patient, whose MAID administration omitted one of three required drugs, causing him to briefly resume breathing before the physician returned to complete the injection. The CPSO audit reviewed 20 MAID charts, finding five instances where conduct “exposes or is likely to expose patients to harm or injury.” The supervision order was announced in May 2026.

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The CPSO concluded that Dr. MacLean’s judgment was deficient, noting that his actions could be perceived as coercive and that his procedural documentation was inadequate. It described the conduct as creating a risk of patient harm and imposed a six-month supervision period with ongoing chart audits. Families of both patients voiced concerns about oversight and called for stricter safeguards.

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Tracey Townsend and her sisters said the sanctions were insufficient, described the experience as traumatic and unacceptable, and urged policy change, arguing that current MAID practices are not safe enough.

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• “What happened was traumatic and unacceptable,” — Tracey Townsend, sister of Bradley Stewart

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• “We would like to see policy change. The way MAID is done right now is not safe enough.” — Tracey Townsend

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• “MacLean displayed a lack of judgement with patients “in a way that risked looking like coercion” and kept inadequate records of the procedures.” — CPSO statement

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• “exposes or is likely to expose patients to harm or injury” — CPSO statement

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The case exposes gaps in MAID procedural compliance and record-keeping, raising questions about safeguards against coercion and medication errors and prompting calls for regulatory review.

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Dr. MacLean remains under CPSO supervision for six months, during which further audits will be conducted. The Stewart family plans to appeal, and the CPSO says its findings may inform future policy revisions to strengthen oversight.

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