Mailing Address
Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council
55 St. Clair Avenue West
Suite 806 Box 18
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4V 2Y7

Telephone and Facsimile
Toll-Free: 1-888-377-7746
Telephone: 416-326-1550.
Fax: 416-326-1549

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Minister's Letter of March 26, 2010

The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Hon. Deb Matthews, has written a letter to Barbara Sullivan, former Chair of HPRAC, indicating that timelines for work on outstanding projects have be revised, and that further work on regulation of personal support workers will be considered internally by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. 

In her letter of March 26, 2010, the Minister indicated she was aware of the "tremendous burden on the health regulatory bodies and ministry staff of implementing the legislative changes that resulted from the HPRAC's two reports New Directions, 2006 and Critical Links, 2009. There remain numerous regulation changes that span a number of pieces of legislation that require development." 

The Minister now requires advice on the regulation of diagnostic sonographers, dental assistants and paramedics and emergency medical attendants by December 31, 2013. Matters concerning Chiropodists and Podiatrists will not be addressed by HPRAC until advice on the regulation of these professions is completed.

To view a copy of the letter from the Minister, click here.

Minister's Letter of February 25, 2009

HPRAC has posted a letter from Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, providing specific timelines for upcoming projects.  The letter confirms the Minister's commitment to requests for advice from HPRAC made by his predecessor, Hon. George Smitherman in his letter of June 28, 2007, and identifies dates on which reports from HPRAC are expected on the outstanding projects,

A report on Personal Support Workers will be expected March 31, 2011.  Reports on Chiropody/Podiatry and the foot-care model in Ontario; the regulation of Dental Assistants, Diagnostic Sonography and Paramedics and Emergency Medical Attendants will be submitted to the Minister by March 31, 2012.

HPRAC will begin consideration, therefore, of the request for advice on Personal Support Workers in April, 2010, and the other four projects will commence by April 2011.

Work on interprofessional collaboration and related issues in the eye care sector, referenced in Critical Links and in the Minister's letter of February 19, 2009 will begin in August, 2009, with a report to be submitted to the Minister some months later.

Information on the report's timelines and consultative process will be communicated shortly.

Additionally, the statutory requirement to monitor health colleges patient relations programs will resume in October, 2009.

To view the Minister's letter, click the following link: Minister's Letter of February 25, 2009

Minister's Referral, June, 2007

On June 28, 2007, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Hon. George Smitherman, requested HPRAC's advice on a number of matters impacting the regulation of health professions in Ontario.  His letter referred questions relating to

• mechanisms to facilitate and support interprofessional collaboration between health Colleges;
• the scope of practice of registered nurses in the extended class;
• regulations concerning non-physician professions who prescribe and/or use drugs in the course of their practice;
• framework and process for changes to drug regulations for non-physician prescribers;
• the regulation of diagnostic sonographers;
• consideration of an association model for personal support workers;
• the regulation of dental assistants;
• the regulation of paramedics and emergency medical attendants; and
• the regulation of chiropody and podiatry.