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Glossary

health-care provider

In Health and Disability, Mental health

A health-care provider is a person who takes care of or treats your physical or mental health. For example, a doctor, nurse, therapist, or counsellor. A health-care provider must have a professional license.

health-care provider

In Substitute decision‑making

A health-care provider is someone who takes care of or treats your physical or mental health. This could be a doctor, nurse, therapist, or counsellor. A health-care provider must have a professional license.  

Some health-care providers can decide if a person is mentally capable of making decisions.   

In a psychiatric facility, only a doctor can decide this. In other facilities, including hospitals and long-term care homes, health-care providers who complete the government’s capacity assessor course can decide.