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.
Duty to report under the HPOA
Under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) a regulated health professional must make a regulatory report to a health regulatory college if a licensee of that college is a risk to the public for reasons that include:
- sexual misconduct
- discrimination
- termination of employment
- restriction of hospital privileges
Duty to report a CPSBC licensee admitted to a health facility
Under HPOA, a licensed health professional working at a health facility has a duty to report a CPSBC licensee who is admitted to that facility if they have concerns that the CPSBC licensee is not fit to practise due to a health condition.
This duty exists whether or not that health condition is the reason for the licensee's admission to that facility. A health facility is defined as a hospital, clinic, institution, or other type of facility where health services are provided.
Duty to report a health concern
Regulatory reports must be made in writing and cannot be made anonymously.
Urgent situations: Call 604-733-7758 (toll-free 1-800-461-3008), extension 2630.
Prepare your report
- Identify yourself and the licensee in question.
- State the beliefs or observations for your concern, and specify the risk presented by the licensee.
- Any hospitalization date and reason (e.g. psychiatric care, treatment for substance use)
- A description of the event leading to the hospitalization
- Initial diagnosis, prognosis and expected duration of hospitalization
- Opinion on current fitness to practice
- Name of most responsible physician who will be providing ongoing care and discharge summary
- Provide any supporting documentation or materials (records, correspondence).
- Provide the names of any other licensees, clinics, hospitals, or health authorities involved.
- Indicate if you have taken, or intend to take, any action such as termination of employment, suspension or revocation of privileges, etc.
Be available to assist
You may be contacted if additional information or documentation is required.
Licensees can submit a regulatory report to CPSBC in the following ways:
- by email to monitoring@cpsbc.ca
- by confidential direct fax at 604-646-9110
Other reporting situations
There may be overlap between CPSBC's complaints and practice investigations department and the Health Monitoring Program. When making a regulatory report, it must be indicated whether a licensee is suspected to be a risk to the public, terminated in their employment, or if hospital privileges are being suspended or restricted.
More information can be found on the duty to report guide.
Reviewing the regulatory report and what happens next
The registrar or deputy registrar reviews the regulatory report to determine whether a regulatory complaint should be made on the basis of the report.
If the issue at hand is a health-related matter, it is reported directly to the Health Monitoring Program. It will be received as though the report was made to the registrar.
The Health Monitoring Program will contact the licensee making the report to get more information about the health condition disclosed in the report. The program will then initiate an inquiry into the health condition.
Learn more about how the Health Monitoring Program addresses health concerns