British Columbia Surpasses Other Provinces in Family Doctors per 100,000 Residents

British Columbia has seen a substantial increase in the number of family doctors per 100,000 residents, surpassing all other provinces in Canada. According to the Primary Care Report released by the provincial government on Aug. 8, the province now boasts 138 family doctors per 100,000 residents, a significant jump from 129.1 in 2017. This growth is accompanied by an additional 750,000 people finding a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2017. The number of nurse practitioners has also seen a significant increase, with 76% of all B.C. residents now having a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner. The NDP government is touting these improvements, while the opposition B.C. Conservatives continue to criticize their handling of healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

• The Primary Care Report reveals that British Columbia now has 138 family doctors per 100,000 residents, a 7.9% increase from 2017 (129.1 GPs per 100,000).
• The province has seen a significant growth in nurse practitioners, with the number ballooning in the past few years.
• The NDP government has reformed payment for family doctors, leading more physicians to take up general practitioner status.
• 76% of all B.C. residents now have a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner, with 750,000 more people finding a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2017.
• The number of doctor hours worked has decreased over the past generation, with doctors working fewer hours than their predecessors.
• The provincial government's efforts to increase the number of family doctors have been met with criticism from the opposition B.C. Conservatives, who have raised concerns about ambulance paramedics, maternity ward staff shortages, and the ongoing mental health and addictions crisis.

Statistics:

• British Columbia now has 138 family doctors per 100,000 residents, surpassing other provinces (a 7.9% increase from 2017).
• Quebec has 130.1 family doctors per 100,000 residents, a 0.8% increase from 2017 (Alberta has 116.1, Saskatchewan has 118.4, and Ontario has 110.1 per 100,000).
• 750,000 more people have found a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2017.
• The number of nurse practitioners has increased significantly over the past few years.
• 76% of all B.C. residents have a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner.

Sources:

• "Primary Care Report" released by the provincial government on Aug. 8 (exact wording from original text).