200 new doctors part of provincial health system overhaul

200 new doctors part of provincial health system overhaul
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Photo courtesy CBC.

Photo courtesy CBC.

A three-year plan by the provincial government to overhaul B.C.’s health system will see more doctors hired and a focus for patients to gain more access to health professionals.

The government’s plan is to shift to a team-based system of care that includes funding for 200 new doctors over the next three years.

The goal of the primary care networks is to give patients a link between family medical practices and a range of specialized and standard services in communities.

Funding was announced Wednesday to hire 200 new nurse practitioners.

Comox is one of the first five communities to have a primary care network established, which the province says will be in 70 per cent of B.C. communities over the next three years.

There will be 10 urgent primary care centres established in B.C. over the next year to service patients without a primary doctor or nurse practitioner.

The goal is to take pressure off emergency departments, with access to weekend and after-hours care at these centres.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says there are 780,000 people in B.C. that do not have a primary doctor or nurse practitioner.

Andy NealAndy Neal

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