The BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) is celebrating a significant win for both patients and family physicians following today’s announcement from the provincial government to eliminate employer-mandated sick notes for short-duration illnesses.
This policy change, which will help reduce unnecessary strain on BC’s health care system, is the result of years of persistent advocacy by family physicians, the BCCFP, and our partners across the province.
“This is great news for patients and family physicians,” said Dr. Katherine Bell, family physician and President of the BCCFP. “Sick notes were a completely unnecessary administrative burden that took time away from patient care. Administrative tasks take up 20-30% of a family physician’s time – time that could be better spent with patients.”
Family physicians have long expressed concern about how administrative tasks like sick notes impact their ability to deliver timely care. The BCCFP has made reducing these administrative burdens a top advocacy priority, aiming to ensure physicians can spend more time where they’re needed most: with their patients.
“What’s really exciting is how the provincial government is listening to our front-line family physicians and putting the solutions we know will make a difference into action,” added Dr. Bell. “Freeing family doctors from unnecessary paperwork is an important step toward improving access to care and making our health care system work better for everyone.”
This success builds on BCCFP’s work to address the issue of sick notes for short-term illnesses. In partnership with BC Family Doctors, we developed a joint sick note template as a resource to support family physicians in reducing administrative burden.
We also made this issue a key part of our advocacy in the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election, with Premier David Eby making the promise to eliminate sick notes if re-elected. You can read more about our advocacy efforts in our latest Annual Report.
This change would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of BC Family Doctors, Doctors of BC, and other allied health care organizations. Together, we will continue to advocate for a health care system that works for both patients and providers, and we look forward to participating in the stakeholder engagement on the new legislation.
BCCFP in the media:
- Global News – ‘B.C. moves to scrap mandatory doctor’s notes for minor illnesses‘
