700,000 British Columbians still don’t have access to a family doctor
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Posted January 30, 2025 7:13 am.
Last Updated January 30, 2025 8:44 am.
Despite ongoing promises from the provincial government that it is making progress to fix B.C.’s crumbling health-care system, the work doesn’t appear to be happening fast enough.
“There are currently 700,000 patients in British Columbia who don’t have a family doctor,” said Dr. Charlene Lui, a family physician in Burnaby and president of Doctors of BC. “That’s unacceptable. Really, every resident of British Columbia deserves a family doctor.”
The numbers are sobering and a reminder the system overall needs a lifeline.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Lui tells 1130 NewsRadio there are different challenges to gain access, depending on where you live.
“The rural areas are suffering more. Not overly with the availability of family doctors to attach to patients, but also around accessibility and distance, which also creates further inequities in rural areas. Vancouver Island is also an area we’re particularly worried about, but this is a problem across the province.”
Lui adds the organization is working with the province and other agencies to bolster recruitment and retention, improve the payment model for physicians, cut down on admin work, and try to get more international health care workers greenlit to work here.
She says not enough international workers are being assessed to gain their local credentials.
“Because of a number of reasons I wouldn’t be able to outline in any kind of detail, but work is being done and we just need to expand that process,” she said.
1130 pushed Lui for an answer about the hold-up.
“That’s an interesting question, and what I can say is there is definitely recognition that work needs to be done in this area and there are policies and other barriers that are still being worked on,” added Lui, who feels all she can do is advocate for change.
Lui said that “it’s really unfortunate and really unfair” that people remain desperate for help.
“We are working on it. What we need is more emphasis and long-term solutions on recruiting and retaining family doctors in British Columbia.”
A report last month from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) showed a growing number of doctors are leaving the field.
“The rate of family physician growth has slowed — from nearly 3 per cent (2015 to 2017) to 1 per cent (2021 to 2023) — and while it has kept pace with population growth, data also shows the continuing trend of family physicians in Canada seeing fewer patients. On average, there has been an 18 per cent decline over the past 10 years — from 1,746 patients in 2013 to 1,430 patients in 2022,” it said.
Lui explained that many physicians are aging and reaching retirement age, with a lot set to hang up their stethoscopes in the next five to 10 years.
“The population is aging, and an aging population means increasingly complex patients [who] take more time and require more care. And physicians are tired. There’s a lot of moral distress, fatigue, and frustration because there is so much work and so many things we believe could be done to help physicians focus on patient care.”
Lui says money helps, but the high cost of living in B.C. is a factor when it comes to recruiting and retaining.
Amid the doctor shortage, Lui admits it’s possible diagnoses are being delayed because of wait times, which ultimately in the long run could cost the health-care system more money.
“Yes, there are patient harms to be seen there,” she stated.
“Another challenge doctors have is access to diagnostic services. Getting investigations done for our patients in a timely manner so we can get on with providing the proper care,” she explained. “Specialist wait lists are really unmanageable and if patients are waiting to get into a specialist, then family physicians are taking care of chronic patients, complex patients longer than we used to have to.”
More than 1.2 million British Columbians are currently waiting to see a specialist.
Lui adds there have been some delays in getting things going on the health care file following last fall’s provincial election which saw a changing of the guard in the Ministry of Health as long-time minister, Adrian Dix, was shuffled out of the portfolio.
Despite all of this, she wants people to feel hopeful for the future of health care and adds now is not the time to blame anyone for the current situation.
“Health care is very complex. There are so many things that come into play with the health-care crisis as we see it today. Everybody has a role and what we’re trying to do is work in partnership … to improve the health-care system every way we can.”
If you are currently having trouble with the health-care system in B.C. and are interested in sharing your story, please reach out to reporter Sonia Aslam.