Health Professions and Occupations Act

On November 24, 2022, the BC government passed the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), previously known as Bill 36, which aims to create a modernized regulatory framework for health colleges to better serve the public interest. When fully in force, the HPOA will replace the current Health Professions Act.

Doctors of BC and others have criticized the legislative process for lacking meaningful engagement and consultation with key partners. While we support the HPOA's intentions to modernize regulations and enhance cultural safety, we are concerned about several aspects of the legislative framework, such as government-appointed boards, changes to disciplinary processes, and modifications to appeal rights.

Doctors of BC continues to advocate for a pause in the implementation of the regulations so physician concerns can be adequately addressed.

Communications from the President

• Doctors of BC Letter to the Minister of Health, April 10
• President's Letter, April 11: Share your input: Health Professions and Occupations Act bylaw consultation
• President’s Letter, February 28: Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) Bylaw Consultations

Town Hall

We will host a virtual town hall to help you understand and respond to the evolving consultation content.

Analysis of College Consultations

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC is also seeking feedback on draft bylaws it has developed regarding the HPOA. 

To reduce this burden and support members in better understanding what the draft bylaws mean to doctors, Doctors of BC is reviewing and analyzing materials from College consultations to highlight the changes and potential areas of concern.

College consultations are grouped into 16 sections and are being released in three batches. Physicians can also share their feedback directly with the College.

Group 1: March 3–April 30, 2025
Consultation focus: the CPSBC Board, Committees, CPSBC Records and Information, Permits, and Professional Responsibilities.

• Summary of draft bylaws under the first consultation
• Full analysis of draft bylaws under the first consultation

Group 2: April 4-May 30, 2025
Consultation focus: Blood-Borne Communicable Diseases, Health Monitoring, Licensure, and Quality Assurance.

• Check back for summary and analysis

Group 3: June 2–July 31, 2025 
Consultation focus: Accreditation, College Administration, Delegation, General, Interpretation, Public Protection, and Support Programs.

• Check back for summary and analysis

We were first informed of possible changes to the Health Professions Act in 2019 when the Cayton Report was released. Since that time, Doctors of BC has advocated on behalf of BC’s physicians with the Ministry of Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, and other health colleges, as well as kept members updated on the impending changes.

2023

• To support members’ understanding of the changes and the impact on physicians, we held a town hall webinar in which government staff outlined the reasons for the Health Professions and Occupations Act and explained what it means for doctors; this was followed by a discussion with Doctors of BC leaders on the next steps to effectively advocate on behalf of the profession. View the Health Professions and Occupations Act webinar summary.
• We actively voiced our concerns about the process and lack of physician engagement and input in the media, stating the “process matters as much as the outcome, and many physicians have been blindsided by a process they weren’t fully informed about."

2022

• We shared our concerns and our position on the Act with members via a President’s Letter.

2020

• We provided further input during government’s second round of engagement and consultation prior to the introduction of the HPOA: Submission of January 24, 2020.

2019

• We provided input during the first round of engagement and consultation prior to the introduction of the HPOA: Submission of June 14, 2019.