British Columbia has jettisoned its ambitious 2013 election promise to match everyone in the province with a family doctor. It’s yet another sign that governments are beginning to recognise an evolution in the provision of primary medical care — an evolution that’s supported by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
The GP for Me program had aimed to match every BC resident with a family physician (FP) by the end of 2015. That didn’t happen, despite the fact that BC has 125 FPs per 100 000 population — higher than the national average of 114. Instead of individual FPs, BC will match people with a primary care team that includes doctors as well as nurse practitioners, mental health counsellors, physiotherapists and others. Read more in CMAJ.