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Proposed Amendments to Health and Social Services Professions Act
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The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) sought input from stakeholders and the public on proposed amendments to the Health and Social Services Professions Act(HSSPA). These amendments aim to align the NWT with best practices across Canada, providing clear guidelines for both professionals and patients.
The HSSPA seeks to bring all Department of Health and Social Services regulated professionals under one comprehensive regulatory framework.
Key proposed amendments include:
Allowing the Registrar of Health and Social Services Professions (Registrar) to refer registration decisions to a Registration Committee as needed.
Requiring employers to report unprofessional conduct by a registered member to the Complaints Officer.
Requiring the Registrar to notify employers if a registered member’s licence is suspended, cancelled, or if conditions have been placed on their licence.
Requiring the Registrar to inform regulatory bodies in other Canadian jurisdictions if a member’s licence is suspended, cancelled, or if conditions have been placed on their licence.
Allowing the Registrar to approve continuing competency programs, guidelines, standards of practice and codes of ethics.
Allowing the Minister of Health and Social Services to direct the Registrar to register and issue licences during a state of emergency.
Allowing the Registrar to impose conditions on a licence at initial registration without limitations.
Allowing a health or social services profession to apply to self-regulate.
Have Your Say
Stakeholders and the public were invited to provide feedback by August 30, 2024, which was submitted via email.
Regulated health and social services professions in the NWT are currently governed by twelve separate pieces of legislation. The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) oversees the regulation of these professionals, except for nurses. Nurses are regulated by the College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which operates under the NWT Nursing Profession Act and the Nunavut Nursing Professions Act.
In Canada’s provinces, regulated professions are governed by self-regulating Colleges authorized by provincial governments. These Colleges handle their administration regulations, bylaws, standards of practice, and code of ethics. However, in smaller jurisdictions like Canada’s territories, self-regulation is often not feasible due to the small number of professionals and the high costs of maintaining an independent regulatory office.
The HSSPA aims to bring all DHSS regulated health and social services professions under a single, comprehensive regulatory framework. This approach ensures consistency and thoroughness across all professions. Work is underway to move the regulation of pharmacy, midwifery, and dental hygienist professions to the HSSPA from their outdated individual statutes. Other health and social services professions currently regulated by DHSS under separate enactments will follow.
The HSSPA was passed in the Legislative Assembly in March 2015 and came into force March 1, 2022.
Next Steps
Engagement results were summarized and are available here. These results will help inform the amendments to the HSSPA.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) sought input from stakeholders and the public on proposed amendments to the Health and Social Services Professions Act(HSSPA). These amendments aim to align the NWT with best practices across Canada, providing clear guidelines for both professionals and patients.
The HSSPA seeks to bring all Department of Health and Social Services regulated professionals under one comprehensive regulatory framework.
Key proposed amendments include:
Allowing the Registrar of Health and Social Services Professions (Registrar) to refer registration decisions to a Registration Committee as needed.
Requiring employers to report unprofessional conduct by a registered member to the Complaints Officer.
Requiring the Registrar to notify employers if a registered member’s licence is suspended, cancelled, or if conditions have been placed on their licence.
Requiring the Registrar to inform regulatory bodies in other Canadian jurisdictions if a member’s licence is suspended, cancelled, or if conditions have been placed on their licence.
Allowing the Registrar to approve continuing competency programs, guidelines, standards of practice and codes of ethics.
Allowing the Minister of Health and Social Services to direct the Registrar to register and issue licences during a state of emergency.
Allowing the Registrar to impose conditions on a licence at initial registration without limitations.
Allowing a health or social services profession to apply to self-regulate.
Have Your Say
Stakeholders and the public were invited to provide feedback by August 30, 2024, which was submitted via email.
Regulated health and social services professions in the NWT are currently governed by twelve separate pieces of legislation. The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) oversees the regulation of these professionals, except for nurses. Nurses are regulated by the College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which operates under the NWT Nursing Profession Act and the Nunavut Nursing Professions Act.
In Canada’s provinces, regulated professions are governed by self-regulating Colleges authorized by provincial governments. These Colleges handle their administration regulations, bylaws, standards of practice, and code of ethics. However, in smaller jurisdictions like Canada’s territories, self-regulation is often not feasible due to the small number of professionals and the high costs of maintaining an independent regulatory office.
The HSSPA aims to bring all DHSS regulated health and social services professions under a single, comprehensive regulatory framework. This approach ensures consistency and thoroughness across all professions. Work is underway to move the regulation of pharmacy, midwifery, and dental hygienist professions to the HSSPA from their outdated individual statutes. Other health and social services professions currently regulated by DHSS under separate enactments will follow.
The HSSPA was passed in the Legislative Assembly in March 2015 and came into force March 1, 2022.
Next Steps
Engagement results were summarized and are available here. These results will help inform the amendments to the HSSPA.
Status
Open
Proposed Amendments to Health and Social Services Professions Act has finished this stage
This engagement is open from July 29, 2024 to August 30, 2024.
Under Review
Proposed Amendments to Health and Social Services Professions Act is currently at this stage
Completed
this is an upcoming stage for Proposed Amendments to Health and Social Services Professions Act
