Looking for a family doctor?
A GP for Me, and this website, is not a centralized patient-doctor matching database. Work is underway locally in BC communities that, over time, aims to help more people who want a GP to find one. There may not be an instant solution for everyone who is looking for a doctor now.
Right now, sources for finding a family doctor include:
- Ask friends or family.
- Check the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC list of doctors accepting new patients.
A GP for Me
Research shows that a strong primary care system, centred on continuous doctor-patient relationships, leads to better health outcomes for patients. Right now, however, provincial data to the end of 2013 shows there are approximately 200,000 British Columbians who want a family doctor yet cannot find one.
A GP for Me is a province-wide initiative jointly funded by the Government of BC and Doctors of BC to provide more British Columbians who want one with access to a family doctor and primary care. Two areas of work helping to achieve this include:
- Groups of family doctors in local communities call Divisions of Family Practice are working with partners on plans to increase access to care in their local areas; and
- Individual doctors’ offices are receiving support to help improve efficiencies in practice processes, which in some cases will enable them to take on new patients if they choose to.
Why have a family doctor?
Made-in-BC research shows that people have better health outcomes when they have a strong relationship with a primary care practitioner, usually a family doctor. If you have an ongoing relationship with your family doctor you are likely to experience better care because your doctor knows and understands your background and medical history. You will also benefit from more preventative care, better communication and coordination of your health needs when you need to be referred to other health care providers, more accurate diagnoses, better medication management, avoidance of repeat tests or other interventions, and fewer hospitalizations. That's why A GP for Me also provides support for physicians to care for their patients in new ways, such as doctor-patient telephone consultations, and increased funding to look after patients with chronic diseases.
For further information about A GP for Me, please visit About Us.