News
Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) Proclaimed
Over the past five years COTM has been providing you with information regarding the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA). This legislation will eventually be the governing legislation for the profession of occupational therapy in Manitoba, replacing The Occupational Therapists Act.
The RHPA was proclaimed as of January 1st, 2014 with the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Manitoba the first health professions and regulator to come under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).
The RHPA, as proclaimed by the Government of Manitoba, will eventually replace the current acts of 22 regulated health professions in Manitoba. Each profession will also have its own profession-specific regulations under the RHPA. This legislation ensures all health professions in Manitoba are governed by consistent, uniform legislation and regulations with a focus on patient safety.
The recent Government of Manitoba News Release http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=20060
from the Minister of Health mentioned the many benefits of ombudsman legislation governing all the health professions. The Minister also mentions the next two professions most likely to go under the RHPA, that being the registered nurses, and physicians and surgeons.
With the proclamation of the RHPA for the professions of audiology and speech language pathologists, nothing changes for the profession of occupational therapy. Changes to the SLP scope of practice description and the introduction of the reserved acts structure of regulation for this profession does not affect the OT scope of practice.
COTM has been preparing to go under the RHPA but has not yet applied to Manitoba Health to begin this process. COTM is concentrating on making necessary changes to the current OT Regulation to enhance compliance with Agreement of Internal Trade labour mobility and reciprocity requirements, and to update outdated provisions. COTM work related to the RHPA has been focused on a study of the reserved acts outlined in Part 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act and in redeveloping the Practice of Occupational Therapy statement. This statement appears in Part 2, Section 2 of The Occupational Therapists Act; a new statement will be essential to the RHPA Practice of Occupational Therapy regulation. Eventual approval of this regulation will move the OT profession from under The Occupational Therapists Act to the RHPA and continue COTM as the regulatory authority for the profession. Other RHPA related work carried out by COTM in the past five years has included participation in the consultation processes conducted by MB Health and the respective professions regarding legislative and regulatory developments.
Visit the Manitoba Laws website to see the RHPA in its entirety at http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/r117e.php
To view the Regulation that creates the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Manitoba (CASLPM) and outlines the reserved acts assigned to these two professions go to:
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/r117-191.13.pdf
To view the General Regulation for the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Manitoba (CASLPM) visit:
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/r117-192.13.pdf