The British Columbia Priorities Panel on Primary Care: New perspectives and possibilities for primary care in Canada report is now available. This BC-specific report from OurCare summarizes the recommendations from 31 members of the public who live in BC and represent the province’s diverse demographics, geographics, life experiences, and interactions with our health care system. This panel collectively spent almost 1000 hours learning from experts and deliberating before making recommendations on creating a better primary care system.
The report cites access to care as the main concern of the panel around BC’s primary care system. The panelists felt that the care British Columbians receive should not differ depending on where they live, their income, or what language they speak, among other factors.
The report outlines 25 actionable recommendations to transform the delivery of primary care. Some of the report recommendations, among others, include:
- Foster, set-up, and fund Community Health Centres (CHCs) in every community to support timely access to primary care, including physicians and team-based care.
- Ensure more CHCs in rural, remote, Indigenous, and low-income communities.
- Assign each resident to a catchment area from where they can select their primary care practitioner or care team similar to how the public school system works.
- Train and support patients in the technological aspects of accessing primary care, including virtual care.
- Create an independent, publicly funded education campaign about primary care.
BC Family Doctors is a member of the OurCare British Columbia Advisory. The full BC specific report can be found here. A two-page report summary is also available.