Please be advised that the College was granted a waiver of the 60-day recirculation period by the Minister of Health on May 9, 2023, and this consultation has been closed effective immediately.
Please review the Proposed Revisions to the Amendments to the General Regulation and provide your feedback by Friday June 30, 2023. If you have any questions, please email consultation@collegept.org.
Please note: The College, as directed by Council, is currently seeking a waiver or abridgement of the 60-day circulation period from the Minister of Health, and depending on the response this consultation may close without notice.
About the Proposed Changes
On April 28, 2023, the Council of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario met to consider consultation feedback received regarding the proposed Emergency Class of Registration, an amendment to the Registration Regulation in the College’s General Regulation. As a result of the consultation feedback received, Council made changes to the original regulation amendment proposal. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario is now seeking comments on the revisions to the proposed Emergency Class of Registration.
Background
Bill 106, the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, contains provisions related to the registration of healthcare providers in Ontario so that Ontarians continue to have uninterrupted access to safe and high-quality healthcare services. One of these requirements is that Ontario health regulatory Colleges develop an “emergency class” of registration. The intent is to create an alternative pathway to register individuals in an expedited manner during an emergency.
To align with Bill 106 requirements, the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario (CPO) prepared a draft amendment to its Registration Regulation to create an emergency registration class. The draft regulations were approved in principle by Council on February 10, 2023. In accordance with the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), the proposed regulation was circulated for 60 days to members and stakeholders for comment. Comments were received between February 13, 2023, and April 14, 2023.
Council considered all comments submitted at a Special Council Meeting on April 28, 2023.
Updates to the Emergency Registration Class
After considering the comments received, changes were made to the proposed regulation amendment initially circulated. Specifically, Council:
- Removed examples around potential limitations to the emergency class that Council may impose if the emergency class is opened, as outlined in 24.1(2).
- Removed the requirement for the supervisor to be located at the same practice location.
- Increased the validity period of the emergency class certificate after the emergency ends from 15 days to 90 days, per 24.1(7).
Additional details around the rationale for these changes can be found in the April 28, 2023 Council briefing materials.
The table below outlines the updates to the proposed regulation. The original proposed regulation amendment (excluding the new revisions) is available for reference.
Original Proposed Amendment
24.1 (2) Where the Council receives a request from the Government of Ontario or the Council determines there are emergency circumstances under subsection (1), the Council may also determine whether the issuance of certificates of registration in the emergency class is to be limited in any manner including, but not limited to, the following:
1. whether members of that class will be permitted to practise in-person, virtually or both; and/or
2. applicants who will be engaging in clinical practice in a public hospital, long-term care facility or other similar publicly funded institutions approved by the Council; and/or
3. applicants who will be engaging in clinical practice in a private practice setting.
24.1 (6)The following are the terms, conditions and limitations of an emergency class certificate of registration:
2. The member may only practise physiotherapy under the direct supervision of a Supervisor who works at the same practice location.
3. The member must be directly supervised by the Supervisor until the Registrar is satisfied that the member is able to practise safely and competently without supervision.
24.1 (7) An emergency class certificate of registration is automatically revoked on the earliest of the date on which any of the following events occur:
1. 15 days after receipt of notice of the Council’s determination that the emergency circumstances have ended.
Updated Proposed Amendment
24.1 (2) Where the Council receives a request from the Government of Ontario or the Council determines there are emergency circumstances under subsection (1), the Council may also determine whether the issuance of certificates of registration in the emergency class is to be limited in any manner.including, but not limited to, the following:
1. whether members of that class will be permitted to practise in-person, virtually or both; and/or
2. applicants who will be engaging in clinical practice in a public hospital, long-term care facility or other similar publicly funded institutions approved by the Council; and/or
3. applicants who will be engaging in clinical practice in a private practice setting.
24.1 (6)The following are the terms, conditions and limitations of an emergency class certificate of registration:
2. The member may only practise physiotherapy under the direct supervision of a Supervisor.who works at the same practice location.
3. The member must be directly supervised by the Supervisor until the Registrar is satisfied that the member is able to practise safely and competently without supervision.
24.1 (7) An emergency class certificate of registration is automatically revoked on the earliest of the date on which any of the following events occur:
1. 15 days 90 days after receipt of notice of the Council’s determination that the emergency circumstances have ended.
As directed by Council, the revised proposed regulation amendment is once again being circulated to members and stakeholders for comment. Because the Ministry of Health has requested that the proposed regulation be submitted by May 1, 2023, Council has directed the Registrar to request an abridgement or waiver of the circulation period for approval by the Minister of Health. Depending on the Minister of Health’s decision, this consultation process may close sooner than the typical 60-day timeframe and without advanced notice.
We Want to Hear from You
The College welcomes your input on the proposed revisions to the regulation amendment.
The proposed revisions to the Regulation amendments are provided above for your review. Please review the changes to the original proposed regulation amendment and provide your feedback by Friday June 30, 2023.
Feedback from individuals will be kept anonymous. Feedback on behalf of organizations may include the name of the organization.