Bill 36 - The Health Professions and Occupations Act
On November 24th, 2022, the Province of BC completed the third reading of the new Health Professions and Occupations Act and it passed Royal Assent. This act is a foundational piece of BC legislation and is what dictates the common regulatory framework for the health professions in BC. If you'd like to read through the Bill yourself, please click here.
This Bill builds upon the recommendations of the Steering Committee on Modernization of Health Professions found within the August 2020 report: Recommendations to Modernize the Provincial Health Profession Regulatory Framework.
It also builds upon the November 2020 report conducted by Mary Ellen Turpel Lafonde at the direction of the Ministry of Health titled In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care.
These changes are going to be large, with an implementation of these changes taking place over a span of a number of years. The Province is continuing to engage with stakeholders.
As this is going to be a massive change for physiotherapists in BC, PABC will be meeting with it's Board of Directors in early January of 2023 to discuss Bill 36. We hope to have a more fulsome update after this meeting.
What is PABC doing?
PABC has been engaging with the CPTBC and the Province of BC as this has been making its way through the legislature. PABC has separate meetings scheduled with the CPTBC, Ministry of Health and other Allied Health Associations for early January. PABC will continue to participate in these conversations, advocating for physiotherapists and the profession at large, and will update members as we learn more.
What can you do?
PABC Members can get engaged in the advocacy/political process by reaching out to their MLAs. We have included a sample script that you can use when writing letters/emails to your MLAs with some key points that PABC is advocating to the relevant government officials.
Speaking Notes for MLA's
As part of our Advocacy work we wanted to provide some speaking notes for our members who wish to get into touch with their MLAs. Individual advocacy from our members can be an incredibly powerful method to have your voice heard and so we wanted to provide a small list of resources/notes that members can access if they intend to get into touch with their local representatives.
To access a list of MLAs and their contact information, please click here.
Self-Regulation
Physical Therapists have been self- regulated in BC since 1946 with the creation of the Association of Physical Therapists and Massage Practitioners (APMP) in BC. This association acted as the main regulatory body for Physical Therapists in BC. This regulatory body existed until 1994 when the APMP became the College of Physical Therapists in BC underneath the blanket of the Health Professions Act.
Self-regulation has been a cornerstone of physiotherapy in BC for almost 80 years and it is PABC's wish for self-regulation to continue under any proposed changes to the Health Professions Act. This would mean ensuring that those who have disciplinary oversight over physiotherapists under this new model have a physiotherapist background and overall knowledge of the profession at large.
Physiotherapists in the BC Health Care System
Physiotherapists play an integral part in the BC health care system. Listed below are a number of different resources you can use to highlight to your MLAs the importance of physiotherapists within all stages of a patient's life.
Videos produced by PABC on Physiotherapy can be found here.
PABC regularly publishes PhysioFinds, a monthly news update in collaboration with PABC's Knowledge Services Manager, Rachael Bradshaw. To access some of these pieces, click here to search through our news and publications.
CAPR Exam Advocacy
For further updates and information on Interim physios and the Physiotherapy Competency Exam please click here.
BC Provincial Regulatory Changes
Modernization of Health Professional Regulation
- January 2020 PABC response - Modernizing the provincial health regulatory framework: a response from the Physiotherapy Association of BC.
- August 2020 Steering Committee on Modernization of Health Professional Regulation released Recommendations to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework.
- November 2019 - BC Provincial Government releases Specific Recommendations on Regulatory Changes (link is external)
Provincial Elections
Members Election Communication Package
This comprehensive package makes it easy to raise awareness and drive change in the province, and your community.
BC Provincial Election Script Outline and Questionnaire
Use this script to guide an impactful conversation with those running in your riding about the issues that matter most to you.
Encourage those running in your riding to fill out this questionnaire.
Letters to the BC Provincial Party Leaders
- 24 September 2020 - Letter emailed to Premier John Horgan, Leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party
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24 September 2020 - Letter emailed to Andrew Wilkinson, Leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party
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24 September 2020 - Letter emailed to Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the British Columbia Green Party
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24 September 2020 - Letter emailed to Trevor Bolin, Leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party
Final List of Candidates
Take a look at the final list of candidates for the 42nd BC Provincial Election here.
Physio Can Help Government Position Papers
In 2017, PABC created a series of position papers under the Physio Can Help Campaign. View the campaign here.