New urgent and primary care centre opens at Gorge Road Hospital in Victoria
A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) has opened at the Gorge Road Hospital in Victoria. The problem is, few know it even exists.
"I couldn’t believe it," said Justin Henry, who is without a family doctor. "I drove in here this morning and it’s wide open."
Henry is living with advanced Parkinson’s disease. He’s one of nearly 100,000 people in the capital region without a family doctor.
He’s tried numerous times to get into many of Island Health’s new urgent care centres.
"They are very slow," said Henry. "If you go, you have to put at least four to six hours into any one of them if you want to see somebody."
The new clinic at the Gorge Road Hospital opened its doors at 8 a.m. Monday.
On Tuesday morning, Henry was the only one in the clinic when he arrived.
“I came in at 9:30 a.m. and the doctor promptly saw me,” said Henry. “It was first class.”
He found out about the clinic from his daughter but it doesn’t seem like many others know it’s open.
Island Health tells CTV News it’s not yet fully staffed.
The UPCC model was created by the province to ease pressure on B.C.'s strained health-care system.
Another solution to the crisis came last month, when B.C.'s Health Ministry announced a $118-million injection to help primary care providers stay open.
The province says more than 4,500 doctors will receive funding starting next month, with 1,100 of them working in walk-in clinics.
The new clinic is one of six now in Greater Victoria. Most are booked solid daily.
"I can’t get referred anywhere so that’s part of the reason that I came here, to try to get something done without having a family doctor,” said Henry. “I have gotten a little further bit ahead but it’s a pretty intricate system."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.