British Columbia · College of Health and Care Professionals of BC

How to Respond to a CHCPBC Complaint

A letter from the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC is an unsettling thing to open, and the ground has recently shifted: since 1 April 2026 the complaints and discipline process runs under British Columbia’s new Health Professions and Occupations Act. The single most important change is that the College investigates but no longer decides discipline — that now sits with an independent office. Understanding the new path changes how you should respond.

A new Act, and why it matters

British Columbia has modernised how its health professions are regulated. Since 1 April 2026 the Health Professions and Occupations Act (the HPOA) has governed complaints, investigations and discipline, replacing the former Health Professions Act. Under the new framework you are a “licensee” holding a licence, and the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) — formed in June 2024 from seven legacy colleges — regulates optometrists and opticians alongside seven other professions. Much of what you may have read about the old process is now out of date, so it is worth being clear about how the current system actually works.

A complaint is not a finding

Anyone can file a written complaint with the College — a patient, a family member, another professional, or a member of the public — and licensees themselves have duties to report peers in certain circumstances. A concern can also arise from the College’s own quality assurance processes. A complaint being opened tells you nothing about the outcome. The College reviews concerns about conduct, communication, consent, the standard of care, and matters specific to eye care — a missed or delayed diagnosis, a dispensing or contact-lens error, a sight test, or the use of a restricted activity or a reserved title. Most complaints resolve without a discipline hearing. What the letter requires is a considered, timely, written response — not panic, and above all not the two moves that make matters worse: editing the record or contacting the person who complained.

How the College screens and streams a complaint

Complaints go first to the Registrar, who reviews them and refers matters on unless a complaint is trivial, frivolous, vexatious, made in bad faith, or lacks the gravity to warrant an investigation. From there the College decides how to handle it. Under the HPOA the recognised paths include: dismissal, where there is not enough to assess or the concern is outside the College’s role; an early or agreed resolution, where a concern can be addressed without a formal investigation; a formal investigation by the Investigation Committee, where more information is needed; and orders to address concerns about your practice, which in more serious cases move into the discipline process. Knowing which stream you are in tells you what is at stake.

Will the complainant’s identity be shared?

In most cases the complainant’s identity and concern will be shared with you — the process is designed to be transparent and fair to both sides, and you generally cannot respond properly to a concern you cannot see. Under the HPOA a complainant can apply for an identity protection order, which the Investigation Committee may grant in limited circumstances to support people who might otherwise be discouraged from coming forward. These are not automatic, and the College encourages complainants to apply early — if a request comes later, you may already have been told who complained. In the ordinary case you will know exactly what is alleged, which is what lets you respond specifically and on the record.

What a strong response looks like

Your written response is your opportunity to put your account and your clinical reasoning in front of the College. A strong one is measured and specific: it addresses each concern, explains your reasoning at the time rather than with hindsight, and references the relevant standards — your profession’s Standards of Practice and Code, which under the HPOA sit within the College’s bylaws. Enclose the patient record and any other relevant documents — the examination findings, the prescription or dispensing record, the consent discussion. Avoid defensiveness, avoid blaming the patient, and do not overstate; a response that reads as evasive does more damage than the original concern. Because incomplete records are a recurring problem the College sees, the quality of your documentation often matters as much as the substance of the complaint.

Interim action before any finding

Where a licensee’s conduct may pose a risk to the public, the College can impose a summary protection order during the process — limits or conditions on your practice, or a suspension — before any final decision is made. This is a precaution, not a finding. But it carries real consequences: summary protection orders are published, so the effect can arrive before the matter is resolved. If one is proposed or imposed, this is the point at which representation matters most, and the Act provides a route to seek reconsideration of the order.

Who decides discipline now

This is the defining change under the HPOA. The College still handles intake and investigation, but its Investigation Committee no longer resolves matters that require a disciplinary outcome. Those are dealt with by an independent office — a Director of Discipline and a discipline tribunal, housed within the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office and separate from the College. Panels include a member of your profession, a public member and others, and the College’s role is to enforce whatever the tribunal orders. The HPOA also narrows the court appeal routes that existed under the old Act, which is a further reason to take advice early.

This guide is general information about the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) complaints, investigation and remediation process. It is not legal advice and does not create a professional relationship. For advice on your own situation, contact your professional liability insurer or a lawyer who practises regulatory or health law. Last updated July 15, 2026.