New OurCare report on differences in primary care by province and territory
The number of British Columbians who have a family doctor is improving but there’s still more work to do to ensure everyone has access to high-quality primary care.
The new OurCare report shows that 84.3% of people in B.C. report having a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care setting. The survey of nearly 17,000 people across Canada found that B.C. also outperforms other provinces in access to online health records and came out even when comparing accessibility. B.C. also reported 31.8% of respondents have had access to at least one opportunity to be involved in improving primary care in their community or region, slightly above the national average.
However, not all Canadians have access to high-quality primary care. While approximately 750,000 British Columbians don’t have a family doctor, in Ontario that figure rises to 1.53 million and 2.03 million in Quebec. The OurCare survey highlights real gaps in access across Canada. This important collation of patient and provider data tells us that satisfaction with the primary care system on a provincial and national level is similar but leaves much room for improvement. In BC, we continue to advocate for change to support family doctors to spend more time with patients and ensure quality, ongoing care throughout a patient’s life.