Final report of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Advisory Panel, Province of British Columbia

The Working Group included the Ministry of Health Services; the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC; the College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC; WorkSafe BC; Health Canada; the BC Safety Authority, the Provincial Health Services Authority, and a patient safety representative. [...] The Working Group reached a number of conclusions, including: 3 HTH-2014-00301 Page 4 1. The issue of safety in private hyperbaric clinics (PHC’s) is not the responsibility of any one agency or body but a shared and collective responsibility of a number of agencies and bodies, both at the federal, provincial and local levels. [...] As a result of the findings of this Working Group and the meeting with representatives of private operators, the Ministry of Health Services came to the conclusion that there would be a benefit to establishing an independent Panel to provide recommendations 4 HTH-2014-00301 Page 5 relating to the standards and requirements for practitioners for the provision of hyperbaric oxygen in BC. [...] It is important to note that the Panel was to operate under the assumption that the practice of HBOT will become a restricted activity under the Health Professions Act and was the first Panel to be established under this framework. [...] All and any decisions made as a result of the Panel’s recommendations will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Health Services.