Regulation of health professionals in B.C. enables patients and clients to have confidence in receiving care from regulated practitioners who have the appropriate training and skills to provide qualified, safe, and ethical care.

Currently, six health regulatory colleges are established under B.C.’s Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which provides a framework for the self-regulation of health professions. The mandate of the colleges is to serve and protect the public.

In addition to the HPOA and other relevant legislation, B.C.’s health regulatory colleges are guided by the Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation and specific regulations that guide each health profession.

Many social workers also practise within the health system. Social workers are a self-regulating profession governed by a regulatory college under the Social Workers Act. The BC College of Social Workers is part of BC Health Regulators (BCHR), along with three of the six health regulatory colleges:

Regulatory colleges

Regulatory colleges protect the public through regulation of their licensees. They do this by:

  • Determining entry-to-practice requirements;
  • Recognizing education programs;
  • Setting standards of practice;
  • Maintaining a searchable public register of licensees;
  • Administering quality assurance programs;
  • Administering annual registration renewal of licensees;
  • Managing a public complaints process; and
  • Conducting other regulatory practices.

The colleges’ mandate includes receiving and investigating complaints about care submitted by the public or other health-care providers. Colleges have the power to issue limited types of disciplinary action for administrative matters, and the ability to resolve less serious issues by making agreements with health professionals..

When a health professional has committed misconduct, sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, or discrimination, disciplinary action is determined by an independent Health Professions Discipline Tribunal (Discipline Tribunal), which oversees the discipline process for regulated health professions in B.C. The Discipline Tribunal is led under the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office (HPOROO). Once the disciplinary panel has determined disciplinary action, they make a disciplinary order. Regulatory colleges are responsible for enforcing the disciplinary order.

More information about the Discipline Tribunal can be found on the HPOROO website.

Colleges also protect specific professional titles, such as, “nurse,” “traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,” and “dentist,” by responding to complaints about unlawful practice and use of reserved titles by non-registrants. This helps the public recognize qualified professionals who have met the requirements to practise safely.

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On August 27, 2020, the BC Ministry of Health announced a plan to modernize and strengthen the province’s health regulatory system. Find out more about regulatory modernization in BC, and read the latest news about how health profession regulators are evolving.