OPA’s Submission to CPO’s Emergency Class Registration Consultation

April 6, 2023 

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association submitted feedback to the Ministry of Health and the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario’s consultation to their proposed amendment of the general regulation to establish an Emergency Class of registration. 

Bill 106, the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, which came into effect in April 2022, made amendments to the Regulatory Health Professions Act (RHPA) Procedural Code that, requires all Health Profession Regulatory Colleges to establish an Emergency Class of Certificate of Registration. The aim is to reinforce the province’s health workforce planning and create an alternative pathway to register individuals in an expedited manner during emergency situations, such as a pandemic. 

Our key feedback focused on ensuring that the Province and regulatory College have tools in place to address health workforce issues in an effective and expedited manner during the time of emergency, while also ensuring that any proposed regulatory amendments not add complexity that negatively impacts the safety of the public, creates confusion for employers and health system managers, or has unintended negative impacts on health human resources during an emergency situation.