BC Family Medicine Crisis

1. Family medicine is in a state of crisis

• Almost one million British Columbians don’t have, and can’t get, a family doctor.
• Fewer family doctors are choosing to work in comprehensive, longitudinal family practice and more family doctors than ever before are considering leaving the profession.
  
• In a survey conducted by BCCFP in 2022, 40% of those with a family doctor are concerned they will lose their doctor to retirement or practice closure.
  
• Of those without a family doctor, 19% cited that the reason was because their family doctor had closed their practice. This is twice the percentage from 2019 (9%). 

2. Family doctors are the foundation of the health care system. Investing in family medicine means better health outcomes for British Columbians.

• As the main point of contact for access into the health care system, family doctors play a central role in the early identification of disease and improved management of chronic illness.
• Evidence shows that having a family doctor who knows you and cares for you over time results in better overall health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
• 93% of British Columbians believe continuity of care improves their health and want an ongoing relationship with a family physician.

3. A family doctor’s work doesn’t end when the last patient leaves our office

• There has been a significant increase in the amount of non-clinical work required of family doctors – from completing forms and managing referrals to sifting through an ever-increasing input of patient data on challenging electronic medical record platforms.
• Up to 25% of a family doctor’s week is taken up with administrative work. This is time that could be spent providing direct patient care.

4. We are losing family physicians to other parts of health care

• BC is graduating more family medicine physicians than ever before, but because of the current conditions of work, many are steering away from comprehensive family practice.
• This is also true of later-stage physicians, as we see a growing trend of family doctors moving from primary care to other areas within health care. While these doctors are providing other important services – such as urgent care, working in hospitals and other settings – their absence from working in community-based practices make it harder than ever for the public to find a family doctor.

5. It’s not an easy problem to resolve, but the longer we wait, the worse it gets

• Health care is complex, and the issues are not going to be solved overnight. To create a sustainable health care system, family doctors are asking the Province to invest in the foundation on which the health care system rests – primary care provided by family physicians.

​6. Investment in primary care needs to include investments in family doctors

• Research shows that the best outcomes are achieved when patients receive ongoing, collaborative, team-based care led by a family doctor. 
• UPCCs and NPs have a role to play in improving health care capacity, but they should not be used in place of an ongoing relationship with a doctor.