The Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) received Royal Assent in 2022, and will replace the current
Health Professions Act.
The HPOA once in force will:
- Implement anti-discrimination measures to foster physically, culturally, socially, and emotionally safe practices.
- Support and promote awareness of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
- Create a more transparent complaints process, including the publishing of all disciplinary actions on college websites.
- Create safety and identity protection measures and support for complainants who have experienced discrimination, sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct.
Some sections of HPOA are already in force to:
- Establish the new oversight body—the Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight—and appoint the Superintendent.
- Appoint a Director of Discipline, who will oversee a new independent discipline tribunal.
Transition planning underway
Over the last several months, BCCNM has been working with the Ministry of Health, other health regulators, and key partners to plan for this transition. A project steering committee comprising the registrars from all colleges has been established to develop a governance framework and provide oversight to the HPOA transition. BCCNM also has several internal working groups preparing for this project, and identifying the processes and policies that will be impacted by the new legislation.
Regulatory working groups with subject matter expertise from all colleges have also been formed to develop bylaws that are compliant with HPOA. To date, working groups have been established for the following areas: governance, complaints, licensure, practice standards, health monitoring, and quality assurance. There will be broad consultation with the public, registrants, and other key health partners once the bylaws have been drafted.
The HPOA is part of the Ministry of Health's multi-year initiative to
modernize B.C.'s health profession regulatory framework and also includes the amalgamation of several regulatory health profession regulatory colleges. In June, the new College of Health and Care Professionals of BC and the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC officially formed. These amalgamations reduced the number of health regulatory colleges in B.C. from 15 to six.
Appointments: Superintendent, Director of Discipline
On June 7, the Government of B.C.
announced the appointment of Sherri Young to lead the Office of the Superintendent of the Health Professions and Occupations Oversight (also known as the Superintendent's Office). The Superintendent's Office will oversee the health colleges in B.C. that govern more than 120,000 regulated health professionals, ensuring colleges continue to be transparent and accountable, and operate in the public interest.
The superintendent's responsibilities will include making merit-based recommendations to the Minister of Health for board appointments, overseeing regulatory colleges by setting standards for good governance, and conducting audits, investigations, and general reviews to ensure regulators are serving their public interest.
In early August,
Benson Cowan was appointed Director of Discipline to lead an independent discipline tribunal established under the HPOA, within the Superintendent's Office.
The discipline tribunal is integral to the new hearing and discipline process under the HPOA as it allows for separation between colleges, which will continue to investigate complaints, and the tribunal, which will administer disciplinary hearings following a college investigation. This separation will ensure the same body that investigates a complaint is not also the same body that hears and decides the complaint.
Looking ahead
BCCNM will continue to update nurses and midwives, as well as our partners, with new information as it becomes available. Please contact us if you have questions by emailing
communications@bccnm.ca.