Ministry of Health (British Columbia)

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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]

Adrian Dix has been Minister of Health since June 18, 2017. [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]

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

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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. ↑ "BC NDP takes power: The big issues and the people John Horgan has appointed to handle them" . Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  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 Geroge 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.
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