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Protect Health

Reform tracker · Canada · British Columbia

British Columbia: regulators merged and an independent Superintendent

Following Harry Cayton's inquiry, BC cut its health regulators from 20 to 6 and created an independent oversight office. The new Act came into force on 1 April 2026.

The stated rationale

Cayton's 2018-19 inquiry found "a lack of relentless focus on the safety of patients in many but not all of the current colleges", and recommended fewer colleges, merit-appointed boards and independent oversight.

What changed

  • Colleges consolidated: 11 became 2 in June 2024, leaving six colleges in total.
  • An independent Superintendent oversees the colleges, with a new discipline tribunal.
  • Registrants become “licensees”.
  • Psychotherapy: “psychotherapist” becomes a protected title, and “counsellor” stays open. Licensing begins on 29 November 2027, set by regulation (B.C. Reg. 131/2025). A new restricted activity covering only the highest-risk interventions has been proposed (consultation closed August 2026).

Why it matters

We think BC is the clearest direct transplant of right-touch regulation outside the UK, because the inquiry was led by Harry Cayton, who developed right-touch regulation as chief executive of the UK’s Professional Standards Authority. It is also a reminder that right-touch was used here to make regulators more accountable to the public, not to deregulate.

Who supports it

  • BC Government

Who has raised concerns

Not yet documented.

Sources

  1. BC Gov News: Health Professions and Occupations Act comes into effect (31 March 2026)
  2. BC Gov News: 11 health colleges amalgamated into two (28 June 2024)
  3. CHCPBC: The Health Professions and Occupations Act is now in force (1 April 2026)
  4. BC Ministry of Health: Regulation of Psychotherapy Q&A (Aug 2026)
  5. Cayton report on the College of Dental Surgeons of BC and the Health Professions Act
  6. CBC: report on the Cayton inquiry

Further reading

Harry Cayton for the BC Ministry of Health (released April 2019) · Apr 2019

An inquiry into the performance of the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia and the Health Professions Act

Harry Cayton, who developed right-touch regulation as chief executive of the UK's Professional Standards Authority, found the college met 17 of the 28 Standards of Good Regulation, and that many but not all of BC's health colleges showed 'a lack of relentless focus on the safety of patients'. He recommended fewer colleges, appointed boards and independent oversight.

Why it matters: Right-touch used to make regulators more accountable to the public, not to deregulate. It set off the reforms that led to BC's 2026 Act.

Official reportExternalRegulator independence