Research shows that a strong primary care system, centred on continuous doctor-patient relationships, leads to the best 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 all British Columbians who want one with access to a family doctor. The initiative is just getting started in most parts of BC and will not be an instant solution for everyone who is looking for a doctor now. However, over time it will help make family doctors available to more people in two ways:
- Groups of doctors in communities are developing plans to increase access to care in their local areas; and
- Individual doctors’ offices are receiving support to help make their practices more efficient, which will enable them to take on new patients if they choose to.
Made-in-BC research shows that people have the best 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. Therefore 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.
A GP for Me was tested in three communities: Cowichan Valley, Prince George and White Rock-South Surrey. The physicians in those communities were successful in finding primary care providers for over 13,000 people who did not previously have care. The approaches that were tried in these three communities provide helpful input to doctors in other parts of BC as they develop their own local plans.
For further information about A GP for Me, please visit the FAQs.