One in five British Columbians doesn’t have a family doctor, and the province has the worst primary care coverage outside of Atlantic Canada and the territories.
That’s according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information on the state of primary care in the country.
The report found that 82% of British Columbians had a regular healthcare provider, leaving the other 18% to rely on the province’s dwindling supply of walk-in clinics, telehealth, or emergency rooms for care.
Percentage of Canadians with access to a family doctor, by province. (Canadian Institute for Health Information)
“Primary health care is the foundation of Canada’s health care systems,” the report said. “Research shows that people who do not have a primary care provider have worse health and higher rates of preventable diseases.”
Nationally, 83% of Canadians reported having access to a regular care provider. British Columbia fell slightly below the national average.
The report also found a higher proportion of women had access to a family doctor, with 87% reporting they had a primary care provider compared to 79% of men.
The most affluent Canadians were also slightly more likely to have a family doctor than those with the lowest incomes. Younger Canadians under 34 were also less likely than older Canadians to have access to a primary care provider.
“A recent survey of 10 high-income countries found that Canada lags in access to primary care, with the lowest percentage of adults age 18 and older having access to a regular care provider,” the report said. “Canadians also face greater difficulty getting same-day, next-day, evening or weekend appointments compared with people in the other countries surveyed.”
It also pointed to strain on doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers as an issue. It said physicians are working longer hours but seeing fewer patients.
CIHI’s most recent data suggests there are about 97,000 doctors practicing in Canada right now. The number of doctors grew about 1.4% between 2022 and 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. But that growth was entirely in specialist doctors. The number of family doctors practicing in Canada shrunk.
The BC College of Family Physicians has some tips on how to find a family doctor, including registering on BC’s Health Connect Registry for the province to potentially place a family doctor or nurse practitioner in a certain community. Pathways Medical Care Directory can also provide health resources.
Residents without a family doctor are also encouraged to contact HealthLink BC by calling 811. They can also contact Divisions of Family Practice, which may have knowledge about providers accepting new patients.
Finally, the BC College of Family Physicians suggests asking friends or family if their provider would be willing to accept another patient.