B.C. has longest walk-in doctor wait times in Canada, report finds
If you are without a family doctor in the capital region, it is no secret that accessing a walk-in clinic can be a challenge. A new report is now showing just how bad it has gotten.
Chantel lives in Langford, B.C., and has a family doctor, but when her son developed an ear infection, she couldn’t wait and had to turn to a walk-in clinic for help.
“They were actually full for the entire day,” said the mother of two.
It’s a common story heard time and time again, up and down Vancouver Island.
A report conducted by Medimap, an online walk-in clinic resource that shows estimated wait times at clinics throughout Canada, is shining a light on how bad it actually is.
“B.C., in and of itself, is the worst province across Canada,” said Thomas Jankowski, CEO of Medimap.
In this province, North Vancouver has the longest wait times with people waiting, on average, 187 minutes to see a doctor.
In second place sits Victoria, with an average wait time of 107 minutes.
“We have a supply and demand issue,” said Jankowski.
He says there are a number of reasons why our wait times are so bad – doctors retiring out of the profession, high immigration, and B.C.’s new compensation structure for physicians.
The changes "pay doctors for longitudinal support as opposed to individual appointments,” said the CEO.
The idea is that care will improve, giving doctors more time to spend with patients. While Health Minister Adrian Dix credits the pay structure with increasing the number of family doctors in B.C. by hundreds, critics say it has had an adverse effect on walk-in clinics.
“Now the doctors have shifted into this model that pays them more but are often, at times, providing up to 25 per cent less appointment slots to people,” said Jankowski.
As an example of the impact, two walk-in clinics on the Saanich Peninsula will no longer be accepting walk-ins as of March 31. Instead the clinics will focus its doctors on those patients already attached to a family physician.
Dix noted there are 708 more family doctors working in the province this year than last, plus dozens of nurse practitioners – and said B.C. has also added more Urgent and Primary Care Centres.
"There are now 30 of them," he said.
Those Urgent Primary Care Centres have also faced numerous challenges since opening their doors in 2018, include doctor shortages, overcapacity issues and their own long wait times.
Those Urgent Primary Care Centres are not reflected in Medimap’s report.
“We have no way of accessing the Urgent Primary Care Centre data in B.C. specifically,” said Jankowski.
That means we don’t know the extent of how much those Urgent Primary Care Centres are relieving the pressure on the walk-in clinics we have left.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
She developed a passion for genealogy while finding her roots. Now she helps others find their own
Lauren Robilliard always knew she was adopted. As the B.C. native grew older, she developed a passion for genealogy, tracing her roots and paving the way for a career to help others find their own.
Papua New Guinea says landslide buried more than 2,000 people
A Papua New Guinea government official has told the United Nations more than 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive by Friday's landslide and has formally asked for international help.
A cross-country look at beer and wine in convenience stores
By Labour Day weekend, Ontarians of legal drinking age could snag a six-pack at their local convenience store on the way to the cottage. But what are alcohol sales like across the country? Here's what we know.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
Severe thunderstorms set to hit some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind and severe thunderstorms across Canada.
'We were vetted': Sex-ed organization 'disappointed' over Higgs' comments
The head of a Quebec-based sexual and reproductive health organization says she's disappointed New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has deemed presentations she did in the province last week inappropriate.
Richard M. Sherman, who wrote songs for 'Mary Poppins' and 'It's a Small World,' dies at 95
Richard M. Sherman, who helped write the songs for 'Mary Poppins,' 'The Jungle Book' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, 'It's a Small World (After All)' — died at 95.
Cyclone floods coastal villages, blows away thatched roofs and cuts power in Bangladesh and India
A cyclone flooded coastal villages, blew away thatched roofs and left hundreds of thousands of people without power Monday in southern Bangladesh and eastern India. At least seven deaths were reported.