New health profession legislation comes into force on April 1, 2026
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the Health Professions Act (HPA) will be repealed on April 1, 2026 and replaced by the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). This date is confirmed by Lieutenant Governor in Council (LGIC) regulations that were approved by Cabinet on July 16, 2025.
In addition, on July 16, 2025, the BC government posted updates to the regulations for health professions to align them with the HPOA. The regulations outline the name of the college that regulates each health profession, reserved titles, scope of practice statements, activities restricted to the health profession, and limits or conditions on practice. The updated regulations will be available on the Professional Regulation webpage of the BC government website. While the updated regulations are now publicly available, they will not be in effect until April 1, 2026, when the HPOA comes into force.
As stated on the Ministry of Health's Health Professions and Occupations Act webpage, the HPOA aims to improve public protection and safety in the health system by doing the following:
- "Establishing the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office (HPOROO) to ensure regulatory colleges are focused on patient safety and the public interest.
- Enhancing a commitment to cultural safety and humility, through requiring Indigenous support workers for Indigenous peoples going through the discipline process.
- Creating an independent disciplinary hearing process that provides support services and support workers for people going through the process.
- Including all instances of disciplinary actions and summary protection orders against a health professional on the public registry.
- Moving to fully appointed college boards, whose board members are selected based on merit and competency."
Colleges that regulate health professionals in BC will continue to operate under the existing HPA until the government puts the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) into force.
Some sections of HPOA already in force
The BC government has already brought into force the sections of the HPOA required to establish the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office (HPOROO). This enabled hiring the Superintendent of Health, Director of Discipline, and other staff, as well as the creation of discipline tribunals in advance of the government putting the remainder of the HPOA fully into force.
How health professions are regulated in BC
The Ministry of Health establishes the framework for health professions regulation in two ways:
- Enacting the legislation that governs professional regulation (the current Health Professions Act and the incoming Health Professions and Occupations Act), and
- Establishing health profession regulations, which set the scopes of practice, and the limits and conditions for practice.
Regulatory colleges are responsible for upholding the legislation and regulations, and for establishing bylaws, standards, and limits and conditions that guide and direct health professionals’ practice.
For more information about the HPOA, you can refer to the legislation online and find additional background on the Ministry of Health’s Professional Regulation webpage, as well as a webpage specific to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) that includes a Q&A.