Public registries to include all actions, summary protection orders against professionals
The British Columbia government has highlighted that the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) – which broadly aims to improve transparency, regulator governance, and patient protection, including from harm and discrimination in healthcare settings – has taken effect as of Apr. 1.
In a news release, the provincial government shared that the HPOA specifically seeks to:
- Increase the transparency of licensees’ prior disciplinary actions on the regulatory colleges’ public registries
- Include all instances of disciplinary actions and summary protection orders against a regulated health professional on the registry after the disciplinary hearing process
- Foster communication between employers and colleges concerning professional misconduct
- Improve patient safeguards against health professionals’ sexual misconduct and sexual-abuse-related misconduct
- Specify discrimination as a ground for a health professional’s misconduct or a health service provider’s actionable conduct
- Compel colleges, health professionals and occupations, and the Health Professions Review Board to comply with the legislation’s anti-discrimination measures
- Shift to fully appointed regulatory college boards, with members offering diverse perspectives
According to the province, the HPOA also aims to help health professionals benefit from more structure and support from their regulators, as well as practise to the full extent of their education and skills.
New office
In 2024, the BC government created the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office, with Sherri Young as its head.
This office also includes a new independent and impartial disciplinary tribunal, tasked with hearing serious misconduct allegations and overseeing some regulatory college decisions.
Though government-funded, the new oversight office operates independently of the provincial government. As of Apr. 1, the new office has commenced its work to:
- Audit and oversee the colleges to ensure they serve the public interest
- Recommend board appointments using a merit-based selection process
- Assess whether to recommend unregulated health practitioners for regulation
The BC government outlined its prior efforts to combine regulatory colleges and reduce their overall number. Specifically, the province amalgamated:
- three nursing colleges into a single college in 2018
- the nursing college with the College of Midwives in 2020
- the College of Physicians and Surgeons with the College of Podiatrists, also in 2020
- four oral health colleges – including dentists, dental assistants, dental therapists, denturists, dental hygienists and dental technicians – into one college in September 2022
Next steps
In its news release, the provincial government noted that some minor changes came into force on Apr. 1 for hearing-instrument practitioners, midwives, naturopathic physicians, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
Beginning in late spring 2026, the BC Ministry of Health will broadly review regulated health professions’ current scopes of practice to consider further changes, including potentially expanding such scopes.
