The seven statutory committees required under the Regulated Health Professions Act are:

1. Discipline;
2. Executive;
3. Fitness to Practise;
4. Inquiries, Complaints & Reports;
5. Patient Relations;
6. Quality Assurance; and
7. Registration.

The Discipline Committee holds formal discipline hearings on specified allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence, which are referred to by the Inquiries, Complaints & Reports Committee (ICRC). A panel, or sub-group of the committee, must consist of at least three members of the Discipline Committee, two of whom must be public members of the Council according to the RHPA. The CRTO typically appoints five Committee members to a panel to hear a case against a Respiratory Therapist.

The Discipline Committee has a procedural guide, and additional training is offered to Committee Members twice annually through the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario (FHRCO).

Members of the Executive Committee include three profession members and two public members who hold the positions of President, Vice President and Executive Members at Large.

At the first Council meeting after the regional elections in autumn, members of the Executive Committee are elected by the Council. The Executive Committee represents the Council between meetings and is responsible to Council for its decisions and actions.

Hearings are conducted by the Fitness to Practise Committee regarding allegations of mental and/or physical incapacity of Respiratory Therapists. A Fitness to Practise hearing is only required if a Member, who the Committee believes may be unfit to practice respiratory therapy safely, competently or ethically, is unwilling to cooperate with the CRTO or does not recognize that their current condition poses a risk to patients and their own health.

Both the Fitness to Practise and Discipline Committees are usually composed of the same members, since allegations against a Member would not be referred to both Committees; the Inquiries, Complaints & Reports Committee (ICRC) would refer to either the Fitness to Practise or Discipline Committee, not both.

Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) investigates complaints (from patients, their families or other healthcare professionals) and reports (from employers or members themselves) regarding the conduct or actions of respiratory therapists. Submitted concerns are reviewed by a panel consisting of at least three members of the Committee, one of whom must be a public member of Council.

The ICRC serves as a screening committee. It is not authorized to make findings of guilt. Its general role is to ensure that members of the profession obtain and maintain professional standards. The panel may refer a case to the Discipline Committee for a hearing if there are serious concerns or allegations of a similar nature have been brought forward previously.

The Patient Relations Committee at CRTO is responsible for overseeing patient relations, sexual abuse funding program, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, communication, and French language services programs.

The Quality Assurance Committee is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring a Quality Assurance Program which promotes continuing competence and continuing quality improvement among Respiratory Therapists.

The Registration Committee is responsible for monitoring trends, developing policies and advising Council on issues related to entry‐to‐ practice and registration requirements (e.g., approval of Respiratory Therapy educational programs).

Panels of the Registration Committee review applications for registration from individuals who wish to become members of the CRTO but do not meet the registration requirements according to legislation. The panels may also consider applications by Members to remove or modify terms, conditions and limitations imposed on their certificates of registration. Decisions made by the panels may be appealed to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.