A Campbell River doctor says changes to the way the province elects board members to the College of Physicians and Surgeons in BC could be problematic.
Dr. Anna Kindy, who is a specialist in mental health and addictions, addressed the crowd as she illustrated what she calls concerns over the government’s Bill 36 to replace the existing Health Professions Act to have provincial oversight on health professionals.
Kindy says right now the medical board operates with equal representation from elected and appointed medical professionals but changing the Health Professions Occupation Act (HPOA) would drastically put this in jeopardy.
“By having elections, you are getting input from the ground up, if this is implemented all physicians will be appointed by the minister.” she says. “If this happens there will be no input from the front lines, so that impedes the ability to give personalized care.”
In an article published by the province, the act says health professional boards have been formed with a split between health professionals and public members to ensure transparency, accountability, and transparency.
“This process will ensure that half of the board members are public representatives and half are health professionals of the regulatory college with profession-specific knowledge,” the article says.
The Health Professions and Occupations Act received Royal Assent on Nov. 24, 2022.
