Today marks an important milestone for BCCNM and health professional regulation in British Columbia, as the
Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) officially comes into effect, replacing the Health Professions Act (HPA).
Concurrently,
new regulations—including the
Nurses and Midwives Regulation—have also come into effect.
The HPOA represents a significant modernization of B.C.'s regulatory framework. It strengthens our ability to protect the public, reinforces transparency and accountability, and better reflects our commitments to cultural safety, equity, and the public interest.
What's new
We've been preparing for this change for many months in collaboration and alignment with our various partners. While most of the changes impact regulatory colleges, as opposed to licensees, here's what you need to know:
- Our new
bylaws are now in effect
- Terminology in legislation and regulation has changed (for example,
registration is now
licensure). You'll see this reflected in our documents and on our website, and we'll continue updating our systems to reflect this over time.
- Revised and updated standards for all nurses and midwives are now in effect
We encourage employers to review their organizational policies to ensure alignment with the standards, as those meet the HPOA and regulations.
New oversight bodies
Under the new HPOA, the Ministry of Health has created:
A more detailed list of what's changing is available here: HPOA: What's changing?
Looking ahead
The HPOA is a large and complex piece of legislation, and its application will continue to evolve as it is implemented in practice. BCCNM will provide ongoing guidance and updates as this work progresses.
We'd like to thank our many partners across the health-care system, and at the Ministry of Health, for their support and guidance. We look forward to our continued collaboration.
In the coming weeks, we will also be updating our existing learning resources to further support you through this transition. All updates, information and related resources will continue to be available on our website -
Health Professions and Occupations Act.
Questions?
We'd love to hear from you. Email
communications@bccnm.ca.