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Health Professions Act & Regulations

Health Professions Act 

The Health Professions Act (HPA) is umbrella legislation that provides a common regulatory framework for health professions in BC. 

Regulations  

Regulations created by the BC Government for health professions governed under the HPA outline, for each profession: reserved titles reserved for exclusive use, scope of practice, restricted activities, limits or conditions on services and restricted activities, and other profession-specific regulations.     

Health Professions and Occupations Act

The Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) will replace the Health Professions Act (HPA) as the provincial legislation that provides a common regulatory framework for health professions and health profession regulatory colleges in BC.

The HPOA received Royal Assent in 2022 and is expected to be brought into force in 2025. Until the HPOA is brought into force, the HPA remains the health profession regulatory framework in BC.

Changes resulting from the Health Professions and Occupations Act

The HPOA will result in some key changes, including:

  • New requirements for committing to cultural safety and humility, improved governance, strengthened oversight of health profession regulatory colleges (see Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight below), a safer complaints and adjudication process, and better information sharing;
  • A set of guiding principles that health professions regulators will be required to adhere to;
  • An expanded list of duties that regulated health professionals will be required to uphold;
  • Changes in regulatory language, including referring to “licensees” instead of “registrants.”

Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight

The HPOA establishes the independent Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight. The Superintendent’s Office, which is accountable to the HPOA, will oversee health profession regulatory colleges and ensure they act within their mandate. The Superintendent will:

  • Make recommendations to the Minister of Health on board appointments for the colleges;
  • House a new independent discipline tribunal that will hold disciplinary hearings to determine disciplinary action after a complaint has been made against a regulated health professional and an investigation has been conducted;
  • Conduct designation assessments into whether groups of health service providers should become regulated under the HPOA.

Sherri Young has been appointed as the Superintendent to lead the office. Benson Cowan has been appointed as the Director of Discipline to manage the Discipline Tribunal.

Transition planning and communication

Planning for the transition from the HPA to the HPOA has been underway for months. CHCPBC is collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the five other health profession regulatory colleges, and BC Health Regulators in planning for the transition.

CHCPBC will communicate with registrants and the public when the in-force date for the HPOA is known and when further information is available.

More information about the Health Professions and Occupations Act

Background to the HPOA

A multi-year consultation and engagement process occurred before the HPOA was introduced. The legislation reflects recommendations from reports, including:

Other Legislation

The following legislation is relevant to health and care professionals regulated by CHCPBC: 

CHCPBC Bylaws

The CHCPBC Bylaws set out the details of the operation of the organization, including:  

  • the duties and responsibilities of a governing Board, Committees, and the Registrar 
  • qualifications for registration and licensing 
  • the regulation of professional conduct and ethics 
  • fee schedules.

Bylaws are enacted by the College’s Board and are subject to oversight by the Minister of Health.  

See Bylaws for the current CHCPBC Bylaws.  

See Proposed Bylaw Amendments for proposed Bylaw amendments posted for public consultation. 

Standards of Practice

Standards of practice outline the minimum level of acceptable performance and professional practice required of CHCPBC registrants to ensure ethical and safe care for the public.  

Standards promote, guide, and direct professional practice. Health and care professionals are required to know and adhere to the standards of practice for their profession. The standards are enforceable under governing legislation as well as the core competencies for each profession regulated by the College.  

See the standards of practice for each profession: 

Codes of Ethics & Conduct

All health professionals regulated by the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC are guided by the Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct for each profession. Each code: 

  • Helps ensure the client’s welfare is the primary concern in all decision-making 
  • Provides information about the basic ethical care and services the public can expect from health and care professionals 
  • Guides the establishment of standards and guidelines for the professions’ regulatory responsibilities and activities 

Each regulated health professional is expected to be familiar with their profession’s code and to integrate it into their day-to-day practice. 

See the Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct for each profession: