Ministry of Health (British Columbia)

Last updated
British Columbia Ministry of Health
Ministry overview
Jurisdiction British Columbia
Headquarters Victoria, British Columbia
Annual budgetC$35.144 billion (2025–26) [1] [2]
Minister responsible
Ministry executives
  • Tiffany Ma and Diana Clarke, Associate Deputy Ministers
  • Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer
Website Official website

The Ministry of Health is a department of the Government of British Columbia which oversees the provincial health care system. It manages services including the Medical Services Plan, HealthLinkBC, PharmaCare, and the BC Vital Statistics Agency. [3] [4]

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. [5] It also supports the role of the Provincial Health Officer, whose office is housed within the ministry. [6]

Josie Osborne is the Minister of Health, appointed on Nov. 18, 2024. [7] [8]

As of 2025, the Deputy Minister of Health is Cynthia Johansen. The Associate Deputy Ministers are Tiffany Ma and Diana Clarke. [9] [10] An earlier acting appointment of Alexandra Faye (Ally) Butler as Associate Deputy Minister was rescinded in April 2025. [11]

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. [12] The Department of Health and Welfare was formally established on October 1, 1946, with George Pearson as the inaugural minister. [13]

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. [14] During the same period, there were also two ministers of state: one for seniors and another for mental health and addictions. [15]

Under John Horgan, a separate Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions was established. [16] Following the 2024 provincial election, Premier David Eby’s administration ended the stand-alone ministry and folded it back into the Ministry of Health. The 2025/26 Estimates show the "Mental Health and Addictions (Disestablished)" vote with funds transferred to Health in November 2024. [17] [18]

COVID-19 and public health

On April 30, 2020, the Ministry published guidance alongside the BC Centre for Disease Control on interpreting PCR test results for COVID-19. [19] On Sept. 12, 2024 the Provincial Health Officer rescinded the COVID-19 public-health emergency orders. [20] On March 28, 2025 the PHO declared the end of the 2024–25 respiratory illness season and lifted temporary measures in health-care settings. [21]

Professional regulation modernization

On October 19, 2022, Minister Adrian Dix introduced the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which received Royal Assent on Nov. 24, 2022. [22] Specific sections came into force on Oct. 18, 2023 to establish the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office, headed by a Superintendent appointed in June 2024. [23] [24] As part of ongoing amalgamations under the modernization initiative, several health regulatory colleges were amalgamated effective June 28, 2024. [25] [26] The HPOA is scheduled to come into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the Health Professions Act. [27]

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, 2022November 18, 2024 Eby
Josie Osborne November 18, 2024Incumbent█  New Democratic Eby

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ministry of Health 2025/26 - 2027/28 Service Plan" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. 2025-03-04. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  2. ↑ "2025/26 Estimates - Estimated Consolidated Revenue Fund Operating Result" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. 2025-03-04. p. 224. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  3. ↑ "Ministry of Health". Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  4. ↑ "Ministry of Health 2025/26 - 2027/28 Service Plan" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. 2025-03-04. pp. 4–5, 10. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  5. ↑ "Health Authorities". Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  6. ↑ "Office of the Provincial Health Officer". Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  7. ↑ "New cabinet ready to deliver on the priorities of British Columbians". BC Gov News. Government of British Columbia. 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  8. ↑ "Honourable Josie Osborne". BC Gov News. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  9. ↑ "Deputy Ministers' Council of British Columbia". Government of British Columbia. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  10. ↑ "Cynthia Johansen appointed Deputy Minister of Health". BC College of Nurses and Midwives. 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  11. ↑ "Order in Council 177/2025". Government of British Columbia. 2025-04-15. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  12. ↑ "Gov't Welfare Program laid Before MLA's". Vancouver Sun . 1946-02-21. pp. A1.
  13. ↑ "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 legislation passed at the 1946 session.
  14. ↑ Meissner, Dirk (January 26, 2004). "Campbell shuffles cabinet". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. ↑ McInnes, Craig (2001-06-05). "27-member cabinet biggest in B.C. history". Vancouver Sun . pp. A1, A5.
  16. ↑ Palmer, Vaughn (2017-07-18). "Darcy leads difficult job list in Horgan's tough cabinet". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  17. ↑ "2025/26 Estimates – Schedule A reconciliation" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. 2025-03-04. pp. 224–225. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  18. ↑ "B.C. health minister promises revamped approach to overdose crisis after addictions portfolio scrapped". CityNews Vancouver. The Canadian Press. 2024-11-25. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  19. ↑ "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 from the original (PDF) on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  20. ↑ "Provincial health officer rescinds orders for COVID-19". BC Gov News. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  21. ↑ "Provincial health officer's statement on end of respiratory illness season". BC Gov News. 2025-03-28. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  22. ↑ "Patients the focus of new health legislation". BC Gov News. 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  23. ↑ "Update on Health Profession Regulation Modernization" (PDF). BC Ministry of Health. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  24. ↑ "Second update on Health Profession Regulation Modernization" (PDF). BC Ministry of Health. 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  25. ↑ "Patient safety enhanced as more B.C. health colleges amalgamate". BC Gov News. 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  26. ↑ "Health Professions Designation and Amalgamation Regulation". BC Laws. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  27. ↑ "Health Professions and Occupations Act". BC Ministry of Health. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
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