WATCH: Despite a five year old promise from the health minister that everyone would have a family doctor by now, some 350,000 British Columbians are still without a GP. Ted Chernecki has the story.
In 2010, the provincial government committed to “provide every British Columbian who wants a family doctor with one by 2015.”
Today, there are an estimated 350,000 British Columbians without a family doctor. Approximately half of them are actively looking but can’t find one.
“We first started by saying we’re gonna get it done in 2015,” says Dr. Bill Cavers, President of Doctors of BC.
“Have we got there? No. But we’re making incredible strides.”
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Cavers says doctors and the provincial government have worked hard in recent years to meet the goal, but logistical challenges in setting up the “A GP for Me” program have taken longer than originally expected.
“It’s an awful lot more complex than we thought. There’s been a substantive period of time that the divisions have had to spend taking a look at their communities…that preparatory work has taken some time,” he said.
Pilot projects to provide family doctors for everyone in Prince George, White Rock-South Surrey, and the Cowichan Valley have proven successful, said Cavers. And a policy change allowing doctors to take phone calls from patients has also seen benefits.
“Can we be faulted for not getting there by 2015? Well maybe. But we’ve come a long way,” said Cavers.