Safety sensitive work
CPSBC’s mandate is to protect the public. It must consider the health and well-being of licensees and their capacity to practise medicine safely.
Practising medicine has a direct impact on patients and their safety. Licensees with health conditions that affect fitness to practise can have an adverse effect on patients and public safety.
Role of the Health Monitoring Program
Why the Health Monitoring Program matters
The Health Monitoring Program exists to ensure that licensees with health conditions can practise safely without putting patients at risk. When a licensee's health condition—whether physical, cognitive, or mental—begins to affect their ability to provide safe care, CPSBC steps in to protect the public.
Separate and confidential arm of CPSBC
The Health Monitoring Program has been operating for many years to address the health conditions of licensees when such a condition adversely affects their ability to practise safe, competent, ethical care.
Under the Health Professions and Occupations Act, “fitness to practice” refers to a licensee’s skills, knowledge and competence to practise.
A licensee’s “capacity” refers to their good health and well-being to practise safely.
Under CPSBC Bylaws, the Health Monitoring Program is required to evaluate and monitor a licensee’s health in situations where a health condition is negatively impacting their fitness and capacity to practice.
A licensee’s privacy is important. Health information is kept confidential within the Health Monitoring Program. During an inquiry into a health condition, licensees can expect compassion, sensitivity, and a fair and transparent process.
Information obtained by the Health Monitoring Program in assessments or ongoing monitoring are kept in strict confidence. Only health monitoring staff have access to health information, which is stored in a secured section of CPSBC’s filing system.
Health Monitoring Program provides support for other CPSBC departments. When health matters are discovered as a result of other CPSBC processes, these departments make referrals to the Health Monitoring Program to conduct inquiries into health. Situations like this may arise when a health condition is disclosed on application for licensure, or when a health matter comes to light during a complaint investigation.
When Health Monitoring Program completes its inquiry, the program reports back to the referring department with only strictly relevant information. This may include information that a licensee is fit for duty and fit to hold a licence, has the capacity to engage effectively with the referring department, and assurances that the Health Monitoring Program will continue to engage with the licensee as necessary. No health information is disclosed to the referring department.
Raising a health concern
Most health concerns are raised and reported by licensees themselves. Health concerns can be raised with the Health Monitoring Program in a variety of ways.
By the licensee
- self-report a health condition
- disclose a health condition on the licence renewal form
By others
- licensee's care provider
- colleague, health authority, or third party may raise a concern
- regulatory reporting under the Health Professions and Occupations Act
Through CPSBC
- health matters disclosed through other CPSBC processes (complaints, licensing applications) are referred to the Health Monitoring Program
Duty to report
CPSBC licensees have an ethical and legal responsibility to notify CPSBC if they or a colleague have a health issue that impairs their fitness to practise.