Health Professions and Occupations Act
About the HPOA
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.”
CHCPBC is drafting and seeking feedback on new College Bylaws that reflect these and other changes under the HPOA. Six full parts of the draft bylaws, and overviews, have been posted for consultation. Additional parts of the draft bylaws will be posted June 15, 2025. The posting date is subject to change.
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 (OSHPO). 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 BC 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 BC 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
- Health Professions and Occupations Act (only including parts that are in force)
- Health Professions and Occupations Act (full legislation, including parts not yet in force, as passed at third reading on November 24, 2022)
- Health Professions and Occupations Act Q&A, Ministry of Health
- Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight
- Messages From the Registrar & CEO Dianne Millette:
Background to the HPOA
A multi-year consultation and engagement process occurred before the HPOA was introduced. The legislation reflects recommendations from reports, including:
- An Inquiry into the performance of the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia and the Health Professions Act (Led by Harry Cayton) (PDF)
- Recommendations to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework (PDF)
- In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
When will the HPOA come into force?
The HPOA received Royal Assent in November 2022 but is not yet in force. It is expected to come into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council in 2025.
What are key aspects of the HPOA?
The HPOA will:
- Commit to cultural safety and humility by taking a proactive approach to racism and discrimination in the regulation of health professionals and BC’s health care system.
- Improve governance, moving to a merit and competency-based appointment process for board members.
- Strengthen oversight by creating the Office of the Superintendent of Health Profession and Occupation Oversight.
- Create an improved complaints process with a new independent disciplinary hearing process.
- Improve information sharing.
Will any terminology change under the HPOA?
Yes, there will be some terminology changes when the HPOA is enacted.
All regulated health professionals under the HPOA will be referred to as “licensees” rather than “registrants.” All of the professions regulated by CHCPBC will continue to be regulated by CHCPBC under the HPOA when it is enacted in 2025.
Additionally, the Registration Committee will change to the Licence Committee and the Inquiry Committee will become the Investigation Committee.
What is the role of the Office of the Superintendent of Health Professions and Occupations Oversight?
The role of the Office of the Superintendent of Health Professions and Occupations Oversight is to oversee all health colleges in BC, ensuring they continue to be transparent, accountable, and operate in the public interest. The Office will make merit-based recommendations to the BC Minister of Health for Board appointments, conduct oversight activities (e.g. audits, investigations, general reviews), and make recommendations on which health professions should be regulated.
What will the governance structure for CHCPBC look like under the HPOA?
CHCPBC will continue to have a Board and committees that consist of equal numbers of both non-licensee public members and licensees, however, all positions on the Board will be filled by appointment. CHCPBC is currently compliant with the requirements for a competency-based Board under the HPOA.
The Superintendent will be responsible for recruiting and recommending, both licensee and non-licensee candidates, to the Minister of Health for appointment to the Board. The HPOA has removed the process of elections of licensees to the Board.
Board members have a fiduciary duty to the College and the public.
What committees are required under the HPOA?
The HPOA requires committees with decision-making authority for:
- Investigations
- Licensing
- Health Profession Corporation Permits
Other committees may be formed at the discretion of the Board.
Will the process for filing a complaint be different under the HPOA?
No, if you have a concern about the conduct or competence of a licensee of CHCPBC, you may submit a complaint to the College by completing the online Complaint Form, by sending us an email, or by mailing in your complaint. If you need help making a complaint, you can email or call the College and an intake officer will assist you.
Will the investigation and resolution of a complaint be handled differently under the HPOA?
Yes, the HPOA mandates certain changes in the way the CHCPBC deals with complaints. CHCPBC will continue to handle the intake of complaints and the resulting investigation of the concern about a licensee. However, unlike the current model under the Health Professions Act, under the HPOA the Inquiry Committee (which will become the Investigations Committee under the HPOA) will no longer be responsible for resolving complaint investigations that may require a disciplinary outcome. Instead, the newly established independent office of the Director of Discipline, housed within the Superintendent’s Office, will oversee complaints that require disciplinary action.
Will the College disclose if a complaint has been made against a licensee?
Complaint investigations are confidential. In certain circumstances, CHCPBC will be permitted to acknowledge that it has received a complaint or disposed of a complaint in order to respond to public sources like the media.
Will the College still publish public notices?
Yes. Disciplinary actions and summary protection orders (limits, conditions, suspensions) will be published on CHCPBC’s Public Notices page.
How will practice standards be created for CHCPBC?
Under the HPOA, all eligibility, ethics, practice, and accreditation standards must become bylaws. This is different from our current practice standards under the Health Professions Act that are separate from the bylaws.
Consultation will be required for any new or amended standards and bylaws when the HPOA is enacted.
The Board will seek the advice of professional standards advisors for any changes to bylaws regarding eligibility, ethics, and practice standards. The professional standards advisors must have relevant education, training, qualifications, and experience that allows them to give expert advice.
When will consultations on the new HPOA bylaws take place?
The HPOA Bylaws will be completed and published for consultation between May to July 2025. Under the HPOA, CHCPBC will have 16 parts (sections) to its bylaws. Each part will be open for feedback for approximately 45 days. Dates may be revised based on the in-force date of the HPOA when announced.
Bylaw consultations with Indigenous governing bodies as required in the HPOA will be conducted by an external Indigenous consultant on behalf of all health regulatory colleges.
Registrants and impacted parties will be notified as each part of the draft bylaws, overviews, and online feedback forms are published on the HPOA Bylaws Consultation page.