‘Incompetent’ northern Ont. doctor loses his license to practise medicine

A northern Ontario doctor has been stripped of his medical licence for conduct described as “disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
Patrick Brian Phillips first gained attention in September 2021 when the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario barred him from issuing exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines, masking requirements and testing.
Phillips, who practised in Englehart, was also prohibited from prescribing ivermectin -- an antiparasitic agent that Health Canada says should not be used for treating COVID-19 -- as well as fluvoxamine and atorvastatin in connection with the virus.
On Feb. 9, 2022, the hospital in Kirkland Lake, Blanche River Health, suspended his hospital privileges.
A discipline tribunal heard his case June 6 and ruled he had engaged in dishonourable conduct, failed to respond to their inquiries and failed to maintain the standard of practice expected by physicians in Ontario.
In particular, the College ruled he provided “misleading, incorrect or inflammatory statements regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues.”
He also disclosed online a private letter received from an Associate Medical Officer of Health and interfered with the testing of an infant for COVID-19, even though it wasn’t his patient.
“The tribunal also found that Dr. Phillips is incompetent,” the College said.
Phillips has been ordered to appear before the panel to be reprimanded, and ordered to pay $6,000 in costs by July 6.
Download our app to get local alerts on your device
Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
On his Twitter, Phillips said he pleaded “no contest” and was now “filled with so much peace, forgiveness and even gratitude for this experience.”
Phillips, who has more than 53,700 followers, said he is a former “agnostic/atheist” and then cited a Gospel quotation about turning the other cheek.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

BREAKING House Speaker Anthony Rota resigns over Nazi veteran invite with 'profound regret'
Anthony Rota has resigned from his prestigious position as Speaker of the House of Commons over his invitation to, and the House's subsequent recognition of, a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
2 dead, 4 injured in helicopter crash near Prince George, B.C.
Two people have died and four others were injured after a helicopter crashed near Prince George, B.C., Tuesday morning.
OPINION Tom Mulcair: Why Anthony Rota had no choice but to resign
Anthony Rota had no choice but to resign as House Speaker after he invited a Nazi veteran to Parliament. But, as former NDP leader Tom Mulcair writes in a column for CTVNews.ca, if history is going to retain the profound embarrassment caused by his mistake, it should also recognize the contributions Rota has made to democratic life.
NDP pressures Liberals to act on Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, impose sanctions
The federal New Democrats are calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to take action against Azerbaijan in light of escalating violence involving ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The next tool in Canada's wildfire fight could be eyes in the sky watching around the clock
A joint initiative from three government agencies aims to monitor wildfires across Canada from space. Here's how they'll do it.
Nygard used secret bedroom in his company's Toronto HQ for sexual assaults: Crown
Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard had a private bedroom constructed within the walls of the Toronto headquarters of his fashion empire, where he sexually assaulted five women starting in the 1980s, prosecutors said in their opening statement in a Toronto courtroom Tuesday.
Here's how governments across Canada fared when it came to poverty in 2023: report
A new report from Food Banks Canada says governments across the country are not doing enough to address poverty.
Singapore blows up 100-kg Second World War bomb
Bomb disposal experts in Singapore successfully disposed of a 100-kilogram Second World War aerial bomb on Tuesday, police said, after evacuating more than 4,000 people living nearby.
Ontario businessman loses $38K in cheque-cashing scam
An Ontario businessman says he has to pay about $38,000 after he was the victim of a cheque-cashing scam and failed to immediately report the fraudulent activity to his bank. The businessman says that the reason for the delay is because he doesn't use online banking.