With the approval of section 7-5 of the College Bylaws, registrants practising in a private office will be required to post signage, or provide written notice to patients, that the physicians and surgeons practising in that location are licensed and regulated by the College. The signage will be available for download on the College website starting in January 2022 as part of the annual licence renewal process.
The signage must be posted in a high-traffic public area such as a waiting room or lobby. The bylaw applies to registrants working in a private office or facility including:
- solo and group practice
- clinics
- private surgical and diagnostic facilities not affiliated with a health authority
The College’s role is to protect the public, and the signage will be a way to provide patients with confidence that the physician or surgeon they are seeing is registered, qualified, competent and fit to practise.
The signage will have the following information:
- a statement informing patients that the physicians and surgeons who practise in the private office or facility are licensed and registered in BC, and regulated by the College
- the College website address and a QR code for patients to verify a physician’s or surgeon’s credentials in the online registrant directory
- College contact information
Registrants will be asked if they work in a private office on the 2022 Annual Licence Renewal Form. If they answer "yes," they will then be asked to attest that they will either download and print the signage for posting, or provide written notice to their patients and their patients’ representatives as required by the Bylaws. New registrants will be informed of the signage as part of their registration process.
Once the initial rollout is complete, compliance will be tracked through the Physician Practice Enhancement Program. Registrants will also be able to download the signage at any time throughout the year by logging in to the College website.