B.C. proposes cutting number of health regulatory boards from 20 to five

British Columbia is looking at cutting the number of regulatory colleges overseeing health professionals as part of a proposal that Health Minister Adrian Dix says is aimed at making the system more transparent.

There are 20 professional colleges in B.C. with more than 120,00 members, including the College of Chiropractors, College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists. An all-party committee of the legislature is proposing cutting the number of professional colleges to five. Dix says the changes would simplify and increase transparency in the public complaints and professional disciplinary process, while also ensuring professional boards are composed of members appointed on merit and competence. A public consultation on the proposal will end on Jan. 10.