B.C. report urges health regulation reforms

A report recommends cutting the number of regulatory colleges governing health professionals in British Columbia from 20 to six to improve public protection.

British Columbia has 20 colleges with more than 120,000 members representing chiropractors, physicians and surgeons, dental surgeons and other health professionals.

Health Minister Adrian Dix launched a system-wide review of the regulatory colleges in April 2019 following the release of a report that concluded the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. was more focused on protecting the interests of dentists over the public.

Dix says the all-party committee of the legislature is recommending broad changes to modernize the regulatory system for all health professions, including strengthening oversight, increasing transparency in the complaints and disciplinary process and reducing the number of colleges.

The recommendations must still be approved by the provincial cabinet.

B.C.'s College of Dental Surgeons had been in the process of modernizing its regulatory processes when the government-commissioned review by health regulatory expert Harry Cayton was released last year.