{"id":31246,"date":"2026-07-24T22:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T22:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/?page_id=31246"},"modified":"2026-07-24T22:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T22:06:17","slug":"how-to-respond-to-a-bccohp-complaint","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/how-to-respond-to-a-bccohp-complaint\/","title":{"rendered":"How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31246\" class=\"elementor elementor-31246\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d9076c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3d9076c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-855a4e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"855a4e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n<!-- How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint | Canada Knowledge & Support | Elementor Custom HTML fragment -->\r\n<!-- Body only. 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.disc{font-size:.79rem;line-height:1.55;color:var(--muted);border-top:1px solid var(--line);padding-top:20px;margin-top:2.6rem;font-style:italic;}\r\n@media(max-width:640px){.hec-canart .cgrid{grid-template-columns:1fr;}.hec-canart{font-size:16px;}}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<article class=\"hec-canart\">\r\n  <nav class=\"crumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/\">Knowledge &amp; Support<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/british-columbia\/\">Dentists &mdash; British Columbia<\/a><span>\/<\/span>How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint<\/nav>\r\n  <p class=\"eyebrow\">British Columbia &middot; BC College of Oral Health Professionals<\/p>\r\n  <h1>How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint<\/h1>\r\n  <div class=\"meta\"><b>8 min read<\/b><span>Last updated July 14, 2026<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"lede\">The rules changed under you. On <strong>1 April 2026<\/strong> the <em>Health Professions Act<\/em> was repealed and replaced by the <em>Health Professions and Occupations Act<\/em> &mdash; so if you are reading older guidance, it is describing a system that no longer exists. The BC College of Oral Health Professionals still receives and investigates your complaint, but the committee has a new name, you are now a <em>licensee<\/em>, and disciplinary hearings have moved out of the college altogether.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"callout\"><p><strong>Answer, and answer properly &mdash; but take advice first.<\/strong> Under the HPOA the duty to cooperate is written into statute, and failing to respond substantively is itself chargeable as misconduct. So you cannot ignore this. Contact your professional liability insurer and instruct a regulatory lawyer before you send your written response. Do not contact the complainant, and never alter the dental record.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h2>What changed on 1 April 2026<\/h2>\r\n  <p>This is the first thing to get straight, because almost every article you will find online is now out of date. The <em>Health Professions Act<\/em> &mdash; the law that governed BC dentistry for thirty years &mdash; was <strong>repealed on 1 April 2026<\/strong> and replaced by the <strong><em>Health Professions and Occupations Act<\/em> (HPOA)<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n  <p>Three changes matter immediately. You are now a <strong>licensee<\/strong>, not a registrant. The BCCOHP committee that handles your complaint is the <strong>Investigation Committee<\/strong>, not the old Inquiry Committee. And <strong>disciplinary hearings no longer happen at the college<\/strong> &mdash; they are heard by an independent <strong>Health Professions Discipline Tribunal<\/strong>, run by the new Superintendent&rsquo;s Office. The college investigates; someone else adjudicates.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>Who can complain, and how you will hear about it<\/h2>\r\n  <p><strong>Any person<\/strong> may complain to BCCOHP &mdash; it does not have to be your patient. The HPOA also places a <strong>positive duty on licensees to report their peers<\/strong> where there is a risk to the public or an allegation of sexual misconduct, so complaints can come from colleagues and staff. A matter can also be triggered <strong>internally<\/strong>, without any complaint at all, for instance from findings in the college&rsquo;s quality assurance work.<\/p>\r\n  <p>The process is <strong>not anonymous to you<\/strong>. BCCOHP will provide you with the relevant information from the submission and <strong>ask you for a written response<\/strong>. A complainant can apply for an <strong>identity protection order<\/strong> in defined circumstances, but as a rule you will know the substance of what is alleged and be given the chance to answer it.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>The duty to cooperate is now statutory &mdash; and it bites<\/h2>\r\n  <p>Under the old Act, the obligation to engage with your regulator lived in bylaws and standards. The HPOA <strong>codifies it directly into legislation<\/strong>: prompt responses, participation in investigations and quality assurance, and compliance with registrar orders are now express statutory duties. Some of them <strong>survive even if you resign or let your licence lapse<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n  <p>This is not theoretical. BCCOHP has issued citations against dentists in which <strong>failing to cooperate with the investigation was itself one of the charged allegations<\/strong>, sitting alongside the underlying clinical concern. A poor recordkeeping case is survivable; a poor recordkeeping case plus a refusal to engage is a much worse one. Cooperate &mdash; through your lawyer.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>What your written response has to do<\/h2>\r\n  <p>Your response goes to the <strong>Investigation Committee<\/strong> and it is the single document most likely to determine whether this matter ends quietly or escalates. It should answer the specific concerns raised, be anchored in the <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/documentation-for-healthcare-professionals\/\">clinical record as it was written at the time<\/a>, and be measured in tone.<\/p>\r\n  <p>What the committee is assessing is <strong>risk to the public<\/strong>. A response that is defensive, dismissive, or blames the patient tells them the risk is unaddressed. A response that shows you have understood the concern &mdash; genuine <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/insight-for-fitness-to-practise\/\">insight<\/a> &mdash; and have already acted on it tells them the opposite. Remember also that patients own the information in their chart and have a legal right to a complete copy of their dental record; the record you rely on is one they can already see.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>How the Investigation Committee can dispose of your case<\/h2>\r\n  <p>Most complaints do not end in a hearing. Having received the investigation report, the Investigation Committee assesses the risk to the public and can take <strong>no further action<\/strong>; give <strong>practice advice<\/strong>; agree a <strong>consensual resolution<\/strong> under which you take courses; or direct <strong>education<\/strong> such as a case review or a <strong>mentorship with another oral health professional<\/strong>. The HPOA also gives the college <strong>new powers to dispose of frivolous, vexatious or trivial complaints early<\/strong>, before a full investigation.<\/p>\r\n  <p>Only <strong>serious matters<\/strong> are referred onward for a disciplinary hearing. And there is a real incentive to resolve: outcomes of consensual, collaborative resolutions of lesser matters <strong>remain confidential between the parties<\/strong>, whereas a disciplinary order does not.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>What becomes public, and when<\/h2>\r\n  <p>Publication under the HPOA is narrower than people fear but broader than they hope. What gets published is a <strong>disciplinary order made with your consent<\/strong>, or one made <strong>following a finding of misconduct by the tribunal<\/strong>. <strong>Summary protection orders<\/strong> &mdash; interim limits, conditions or a suspension imposed before any hearing to protect the public &mdash; are also published.<\/p>\r\n  <p>Where a matter is resolved consensually as a lesser concern, the outcome generally stays between you and the college. Published notices are listed on the BCCOHP website for <strong>ten years<\/strong> and remain on the public record permanently. The gap between a confidential consensual resolution and a published disciplinary order is, in practice, the thing your response is fighting over.<\/p>\r\n  <h2>What to do this week<\/h2>\r\n  <p>Contact your <strong>professional liability insurer<\/strong> and instruct a regulatory lawyer before you write anything. Diarise the deadline in the letter. Preserve the chart exactly as it is &mdash; retrospective additions are detectable and convert a clinical case into an <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/probity-and-honesty-for-healthcare-professionals\/\">honesty<\/a> case. Say nothing to the complainant.<\/p>\r\n  <p>Then do the work that actually moves the committee&rsquo;s risk assessment: an honest account of what happened, and <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/dealing-with-a-complaint-or-investigation-professionally\/\">targeted learning<\/a> in the area of concern, started now rather than after an order is proposed. It guarantees nothing &mdash; but the committee&rsquo;s own menu of outcomes is built around directed education, and a licensee who has already begun is a licensee they can resolve with.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"kt\">\r\n    <h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li>The Health Professions Act was repealed on 1 April 2026 and replaced by the HPOA &mdash; older guidance describes a system that no longer exists.<\/li>\r\n      <li>You are now a licensee; BCCOHP&rsquo;s Inquiry Committee is now the Investigation Committee; hearings have moved to an independent tribunal.<\/li>\r\n      <li>Any person can complain, licensees have a positive duty to report peers, and a matter can be triggered internally with no complaint at all.<\/li>\r\n      <li>The duty to cooperate is codified in the HPOA &mdash; failing to respond substantively is itself chargeable as misconduct.<\/li>\r\n      <li>The Investigation Committee can take no action, give practice advice, agree courses, direct a mentored case review, or refer serious matters onward.<\/li>\r\n      <li>Consensual resolutions of lesser matters stay confidential; disciplinary orders and summary protection orders are published.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"courses\">\r\n    <h2>Related courses<\/h2>\r\n    <div class=\"cgrid\">\r\n      <a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/dealing-with-a-complaint-or-investigation-professionally\/\"><b>Dealing with a Complaint or Investigation Professionally<\/b><span>Conduct yourself correctly from the first BCCOHP letter to the final decision.<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/ethics-and-ethical-standards-for-dentists-and-dental-professionals\/\"><b>Ethics and Ethical Standards for Dentists and Dental Professionals<\/b><span>The ethical standards a BCCOHP complaint will be measured against.<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/documentation-for-healthcare-professionals\/\"><b>Documentation for Healthcare Professionals<\/b><span>Recordkeeping failures are the most commonly cited concern in BC dental cases.<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/insight-for-fitness-to-practise\/\"><b>Insight for Fitness to Practise<\/b><span>Show the Investigation Committee that the risk has been understood and addressed.<\/span><\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"nextset\">\r\n    <h2>Continue reading<\/h2>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/what-happens-during-a-bccohp-investigation\">What happens during a BCCOHP investigation?<\/a><\/li>\r\n      <li><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/remediation-and-reflection-for-british-columbia-dentists\">Remediation and reflection for British Columbia dentists<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <section class=\"faq\">\r\n    <h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\r\n    <details><summary>Has the law changed for BC dentists?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The Health Professions Act was repealed on 1 April 2026 and replaced by the Health Professions and Occupations Act. You are now a licensee rather than a registrant, BCCOHP's Inquiry Committee is now the Investigation Committee, and disciplinary hearings are heard by an independent tribunal rather than by the college.<\/div><\/details>\r\n    <details><summary>Can I ignore a BCCOHP letter or respond briefly?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. The HPOA writes the duty to cooperate directly into statute, requiring prompt and substantive responses and participation in investigations. BCCOHP has charged dentists with failing to cooperate as an allegation in its own right, alongside the underlying concern.<\/div><\/details>\r\n    <details><summary>Will I know who complained about me?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Generally yes. BCCOHP provides you with the relevant information from the submission and asks for your written response. A complainant can apply for an identity protection order in defined circumstances, but you will normally know the substance of what is alleged.<\/div><\/details>\r\n    <details><summary>Does a complaint mean a hearing?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Most complaints are resolved by the Investigation Committee without a hearing, through no further action, practice advice, a consensual agreement to take courses, or directed education such as a mentored case review. Only serious matters are referred for a disciplinary hearing.<\/div><\/details>\r\n    <details><summary>Will my complaint be made public?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Only certain outcomes are published: a disciplinary order made with your consent, an order following a finding of misconduct by the tribunal, and summary protection orders. Consensual resolutions of lesser matters generally remain confidential between you and the college.<\/div><\/details>\r\n    <details><summary>Who should I contact first?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Your professional liability insurer and a regulatory lawyer, before you send any written response. BCCOHP itself directs licensees to their professional association or insurer for matters relating to liability protection.<\/div><\/details>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"disc\">This guide is general information for dentists in British Columbia and is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BC College of Oral Health Professionals. It describes the position under the Health Professions and Occupations Act, which replaced the Health Professions Act on 1 April 2026; transitional arrangements apply to matters already under way. Regulatory processes change and every case turns on its own facts &mdash; contact your professional liability insurer and a regulatory lawyer about your own matter, and confirm current requirements with BCCOHP. No course or programme can guarantee the outcome of a regulatory process. Last updated July 14, 2026.<\/p>\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@graph\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\r\n      \"headline\": \"How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint\",\r\n      \"description\": \"How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint: what changed under the HPOA on 1 April 2026, your statutory duty to cooperate, and how the Investigation Committee decides.\",\r\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en-CA\",\r\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-07-14\",\r\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-07-14\",\r\n      \"author\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\r\n        \"name\": \"Dr Shehzad Iqbal\"\r\n      },\r\n      \"publisher\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\r\n        \"name\": \"Healthcare Ethics Courses\",\r\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/\"\r\n      },\r\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\r\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/british-columbia\/complaints\/\"\r\n      },\r\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/british-columbia\/complaints\/\",\r\n      \"about\": \"BCCOHP complaint process for dentists in British Columbia under the Health Professions and Occupations Act\"\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\r\n      \"itemListElement\": [\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\r\n          \"position\": 1,\r\n          \"name\": \"Knowledge & Support\",\r\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/\"\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\r\n          \"position\": 2,\r\n          \"name\": \"Dentists \u2014 British Columbia\",\r\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/british-columbia\/\"\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\r\n          \"position\": 3,\r\n          \"name\": \"How to respond to a BCCOHP complaint\",\r\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/british-columbia\/complaints\/\"\r\n        }\r\n      ]\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n      \"mainEntity\": [\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Has the law changed for BC dentists?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"Yes. 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A complainant can apply for an identity protection order in defined circumstances, but you will normally know the substance of what is alleged.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Does a complaint mean a hearing?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"No. Most complaints are resolved by the Investigation Committee without a hearing, through no further action, practice advice, a consensual agreement to take courses, or directed education such as a mentored case review. 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