New health registry connects British Columbians to doctors taking patients

As the province continues to struggle with a doctor shortage, the B.C. government says its new Health Connect Registry will find doctors with space and match them with patients who need them.

It’s like a matchmaking system for finding a family physician. As B.C. struggles with a shortage of doctors, people without one can now sign up for the new Health Connect Registry — an online portal for connecting patients with a physician who has space.

“The registry itself is important because it actually treats people as individuals in the system and says, ‘you need access to a family doctor’ — and connects you into the system,” said B.C.’s Health Minister, Adrian Dix.

Any B.C. resident looking for a nurse practitioner or family doctor can sign up for the Health Connect Registry on the Healthlink BC website with a personal health number, home address, email, and phone number.

The website says once a healthcare provider in the area is available, the patient gets connected with them.

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• B.C. expanding program to connect people with family doctors

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But Dr. Anna Wolak says doctors don’t have a lot of space for more patients.

“If it’s very patient-heavy on one side, and one or two physicians on the other side. It can just lead to more frustration and it could just be harder,” she said.

For years, doctors have said B.C.’s healthcare system is in crisis — as a shortage of physicians has left around 900,000 patients unable to get regular care from a family doctor.

“Yeah, I have a family doctor. It takes a long time to get in,” one local told CityNews.

“Yes I do have a family doctor in Alberta, I’ve made him promise that he’ll never retire … we have the same problems with people getting family doctors,” said another.

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In an effort to keep doctors in the province, the B.C. government announced a new payment model late last year, raising the average family doctor’s salary to $385,000 per year.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the number of B.C. patients in need of a doctor is going down – and as of this week – there are currently more than 900 new primary care providers – doctors and nurse practitioners taking new patients.

But he acknowledges this new online system isn’t going to fix the need for physicians.

“This helps. It doesn’t solve anything. It just helps,” Dix added.