Ministry of Health (British Columbia)

Last updated
British Columbia Ministry of Health
Ministry overview
Jurisdiction British Columbia
Headquarters Victoria, British Columbia
Minister responsible
Ministry executives
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Ministry of Health is a department of the Government of British Columbia which oversees the provincial healthcare system. It manages services including the Medical Services Plan, HealthLinkBC, and the PharmaCare program. [1]

Contents

The majority of health services are delivered through partnerships with health authorities, physicians and other health professionals. The ministry works with five regional health authorities (Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Vancouver Coastal Health) and one province-wide health authority (the Provincial Health Services Authority), which is responsible for specialized health services. [2] It also supports the role of the Provincial Health Officer, whose office is housed within the ministry. [3]

Josie Osbourne is the Minister of Health, appointed on Nov. 18, 2024. [4]

History

On February 21, 1946, the government announced plans to establish a separate department for health; until then, health policy had been the purview of the provincial secretary. [5] The Department of Health and Welfare was formally established on October 1, 1946, with George Pearson as the inaugural minister. [6]

During the first term of the Gordon Campbell government, a separate Ministry of Health Planning was created (led by Sindi Hawkins) but that ministry was later merged back into the main ministry. [7] During the same period, there were also two ministers of state: one for seniors and another for mental health and addictions. [8]

Under John Horgan, a separate Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions was established. [9] The administration of Premier David Eby ended the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and folded it back into the Ministry of Health on Nov. 18, 2024.

COVID-19

On April 30, 2020, the Ministry published guidance alongside the BC Centre for Disease Control on interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. [10]

On October 19, 2022, Minister Adrian Dix introduced legislation to replace the Health Professions Act, the provincial law governing British Columbia's regulatory colleges, with the Health Professions and Occupations Act. [11] A primary function of the act is to amalgamate the colleges from 15 down to 6, under the authority of a new oversight body. [12] In July 2023, Minister Dix appointed Allan Seckel to oversee the amalgamation process. [13] Preparations for the amalgamation are required to be complete by June 28, 2024, the designated date on which the amalgamation will officially occur. [14] [13]

List of ministers

List of ministers
MinisterTerm startTerm endPolitical partyPremier
Minister of Health and Welfare
George Sharratt Pearson October 1, 1946December 29, 1947  Liberal Hart
December 29, 1947May 3, 1950 Johnson
Alexander Douglas Turnbull May 3, 1950August 1, 1952  Liberal
Eric Martin August 1, 1952March 20, 1959  Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett
Minister of Health Services and Hospital Insurance
Eric Martin March 20, 1959December 12, 1966  Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett
Wesley Black December 12, 1966May 24, 1968  Social Credit
Ralph Loffmark May 24, 1968September 15, 1972  Social Credit
Dennis Cocke September 15, 1972November 7, 1973  New Democratic Barrett
Minister of Health
Dennis Cocke November 7, 1973December 22, 1975  New Democratic Barrett
Robert McClelland December 22, 1975November 24, 1979  Social Credit B. Bennett
Rafe Mair November 24, 1979January 6, 1981  Social Credit
Jim Nielsen January 6, 1981February 11, 1986  Social Credit
Stephen Rogers February 11, 1986April 3, 1986  Social Credit
Jim Nielsen April 3, 1986August 6, 1986  Social Credit
August 6, 1986November 6, 1986 Vander Zalm
Peter Dueck November 6, 1986November 1, 1989  Social Credit
John Jansen November 1, 1989April 2, 1991  Social Credit
April 2, 1991May 7, 1991 Johnston
Bruce Strachan May 7, 1991November 5, 1991  Social Credit
Elizabeth Cull November 5, 1991September 15, 1993  New Democratic Harcourt
Paul Ramsey September 15, 1993February 28, 1996  New Democratic
Andrew Petter February 28, 1996June 17, 1996  New Democratic G. Clark
Joy MacPhail June 17, 1996February 18, 1998  New Democratic
Penny Priddy February 18, 1998August 25, 1999  New Democratic
August 25, 1999February 24, 2000 Miller
Mike Farnworth February 29, 2000November 1, 2000  New Democratic Dosanjh
Corky Evans November 1, 2000June 5, 2001  New Democratic
Minister of Health Services
Colin Hansen June 5, 2001December 15, 2004  Liberal Campbell
Shirley Bond December 15, 2004June 16, 2005  Liberal
Minister of Health
George Abbott June 16, 2005June 23, 2008  Liberal Campbell
Minister of Health Services
George Abbott June 23, 2008June 10, 2009  Liberal Campbell
Kevin Falcon June 10, 2009November 30, 2010  Liberal
Colin Hansen November 30, 2010March 14, 2011  Liberal
Minister of Health
Mike de Jong March 14, 2011September 5, 2012  Liberal C. Clark
Margaret MacDiarmid September 5, 2012June 10, 2013  Liberal
Terry Lake June 10, 2013June 12, 2017  Liberal
Mary Polak June 12, 2017July 18, 2017  Liberal
Adrian Dix July 18, 2017November 18, 2022  New Democratic Horgan
November 18, 2022Incumbent Eby

See also

Related Research Articles

The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum and is one of the two major parties in British Columbia; since the 1990s, its rival was the centre-right BC United until the Conservative Party of British Columbia reconstituted itself for the 2024 British Columbia general election, with BC United withdrawing its candidates and endorsing the Conservatives. The party is formally affiliated with the federal New Democratic Party and serves as its provincial branch.

Highway 7, known for most of its length as the Lougheed Highway and Broadway, is an alternative route to Highway 1 through the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. Whereas the controlled-access Highway 1 follows the southern bank of the Fraser River, Highway 7 follows the northern bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Dix</span> Canadian politician (born 1964)

Adrian Dix is a Canadian politician who is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vancouver-Kingsway in British Columbia. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, he was the party's leader and Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia from 2011 to 2014, resigning after losing the 2013 provincial election in an upset. Since 2024, he is the Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, and has been Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs since 2017. Previously, he was Minister of Health under premiers John Horgan and David Eby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Ralston</span> Canadian politician

Bruce Ralston is a Canadian politician. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the riding of Surrey-Whalley from 2005 until 2024. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), he has served in the cabinets of Premiers John Horgan and David Eby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Simons</span> Canadian politician

Nicholas Simons is a Canadian politician. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast from 2005 until 2024, as a member of the New Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Trevena</span> Canadian politician

Claire Felicity Trevena is a Canadian politician, who represented the North Island electoral district Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2005 to 2020. During the 41st Parliament (2017-2020) she was appointed to the Executive Council to be the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. She is a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party and was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 2005 election and re-elected in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 elections. In the 38th Parliament of British Columbia, she sat on the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture and the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, as well as serving as the opposition critic on the Employment and Income Assistance ministry, followed by the critic on child care, early childhood development, and women's issues. In the 39th Parliament she acted as a deputy speaker before returning to her role as critic on the children and family development portfolio. In the 40th Parliament, she was the critic on transportation and BC Ferries and, in that role, produced a report comparing the BC Ferries system with the Washington State Ferries system and introduced the Provincial Shipbuilding Act in both 2014 and 2015 seeking to have future ferries constructed in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrine Conroy</span> Canadian politician (born 1957)

Katrine Conroy is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2005 provincial election and served until 2024. She represented the electoral district of Kootenay West as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party. She served in the cabinet of British Columbia from 2017 until 2024, most recently as Minister of Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Horgan</span> Premier of British Columbia from 2017 to 2022

John Joseph Horgan was a Canadian politician and diplomat who served as the 36th premier of British Columbia (BC) from 2017 to 2022 and the Canadian ambassador to Germany from 2023 to 2024. He was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 2005, representing Langford-Juan de Fuca and its predecessors until 2023. Horgan served as leader of the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2014 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in British Columbia</span>

Higher education in British Columbia is delivered by 25 publicly funded institutions that are composed of eleven universities, eleven colleges, and three institutes. This is in addition to three private universities, five private colleges, and six theological colleges. There are also an extensive number of private career institutes and colleges. Over 297,000 students were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in British Columbia in the 2019-2020 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Eby</span> Premier of British Columbia since 2022

David Robert Patrick Eby is a Canadian politician and lawyer who has served as the 37th premier of British Columbia since November 18, 2022. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, he has represented the electoral district of Vancouver-Point Grey in the Legislative Assembly since 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Mark</span> Canadian politician

Melanie Joy Mark, also known by her Nisga'a name Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak, is a Canadian politician in the province of British Columbia. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), she served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant from 2016 to 2023. From 2017 to 2020, she served as Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training; from 2020 to 2022, she served as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Mark is the first First Nations woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and the first First Nations woman to serve in the Cabinet of British Columbia. On February 22, 2023, Mark announced her intention to resign as MLA and cabinet minister, her resignation took effect April 14 of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of British Columbia</span>

British Columbia (B.C.) is the third largest Canadian province by population and fourth largest provincial economy. Like other provinces in the Canadian federation, B.C. consists of both private and public institutions. However, as Canada's westernmost province, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, B.C. has unique economic characteristics that distinguish it from much of the rest of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie Osborne</span> Canadian politician

Josie Osborne is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2020 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Mid Island-Pacific Rim as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party. She has served in the cabinet of British Columbia since 2020, currently as Minister of Health.

The COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia formed part of an ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On January 28, 2020, British Columbia became the second province to confirm a case of COVID-19 in Canada. The first case of infection involved a patient who had recently returned from Wuhan, Hubei, China. The first case of community transmission in Canada was confirmed in British Columbia on March 5, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42nd Parliament of British Columbia</span> Canadian provincial legislature (2020–2024)

The 42nd Parliament of British Columbia was chosen in the 2020 British Columbia general election. All 87 seats were up for election.

Education in British Columbia comprises public and private primary and secondary schools throughout the province. Like most other provinces in Canada, education is compulsory from ages 6–16, although the vast majority of students remain in school until they graduate from high school at the age of 18. In 2020, 86% of students in British Columbia graduated from high school within six years of entering grade 8. It is also common for children to attend kindergarten at the age of 5, it is increasingly common for even younger children to attend pre-school or early learning programs before their formal school age years.

The Hart ministry, also known as the Hart–Maitland coalition (1941–1946) and Hart–Anscomb coalition (1946–1947), was the combined Cabinet that governed British Columbia from December 9, 1941, to December 29, 1947. It was led by John Hart, the 23rd premier of British Columbia, and was a coalition government that comprised members of both the Liberal Party and Conservative Party.

References

  1. "Ministry of Health - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  2. "Health Authorities - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  3. "Office of the Provincial Health Officer - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  4. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PREM0067-001590
  5. "Gov't Welfare Program laid Before MLA's". Vancouver Sun . 1946-02-21. pp. A1.
  6. "Charles Banks Becomes B.C.'s Lieut.-Governor". The Province . 1946-10-01. pp. A1. Immediately after taking office, His Honor officiated at the swearing-in of Provincial Secretary George Pearson as minister of health and welfare, a post created by the lesgislation passed at the 1946 session.
  7. Meissner, Dirk (January 26, 2004). "Campbell shuffles cabinet". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  8. McInnes, Craig (2001-06-05). "27-member cabinet biggest in B.C. history". Vancouver Sun . pp. A1, A5.
  9. Palmer, Vaughn (2017-07-18). "Darcy leads difficult job list in Horgan's tough cabinet". Vancouver Sun . Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  10. "Interpreting the results of Nucleic Acid Amplification testing (NAT; or PCR tests) for COVID-19 in the Respiratory Tract" (PDF). BC Centre for Disease Control. 2020-04-30. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  11. "Provincial government introduces new legislation to replace the Health Professions Act". British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives. 2022-11-25. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05.
  12. "Patients the focus of new health legislation | BC Gov News". Government of British Columbia . 2022-10-19. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  13. 1 2 "BC Health Regulatory College Amalgamation | Summer 2023 Update". College of Psychologists of British Columbia . 2023-09-27. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  14. "Update on Amalgamation". College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia. 2023-09-21. Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-05.