Advocating for meaningful change
Family physicians create a ripple effect throughout communities and the wider health care system. When they're supported, hospitals see fewer admissions, specialists receive fewer referrals, and patients experience better health outcomes.
Advocacy Day at the Legislature
On May 7, we visited the BC Legislature in Victoria and met face-to-face with MLAs and government leaders. Our goal? To advocate for meaningful change that strengthens family medicine and patient care for the long term.
Our Three Key Asks
Family physicians create a ripple effect throughout communities, and the wider health care system. When they’re supported, hospitals see fewer admissions, specialists receive less referrals, and patients experience better health outcomes. That’s why we’re advocating for smarter spending – not more spending. Refocusing resources to enable effective primary care delivery is a cost-saving investment that benefits everyone.
Investing in Family Physician-Led Team-Based Care
Family physicians with 10-12 years of specialized training are uniquely positioned to provide whole-person, continuous care. Family physician-led models reduce unnecessary referrals, diagnostic testing, and hospital visits, ultimately lowering overall health care costs. One size fits all approaches will not meet the diverse needs of communities across BC.
Reducing Administrative Burdens for Family Physicians
Family physicians spend 20-30% of their time on paperwork, limiting their capacity to see patients and contributing to physician burnout. Family physicians should not be the default gatekeepers for non-medical forms that could be handled by other professionals, patients themselves, or automated through technology.
BCCFP is pleased to see recent government action with Bill 11, eliminating the need for sick notes for short-term absences.
Addressing the Shortage of Vital Rural Family Physicians
All BC patients deserve comparable access to primary care, diagnostics, and specialist care. In rural communities, family physicians deliver primary care, emergency, anesthesiology, surgical, and maternity services. Chronic understaffing is leading to burnout, retirement, and closure of essential services including Emergency Rooms.
Guaranteed Family Practice residency placements in rural BC for medical students committed to rural practice, along with funding initiatives to support overhead costs of rural family medicine clinics, will help address this critical shortage.
Get Involved
Join thousands of family physicians championing meaningful change. Share our campaigns, contact your local MLA, and help build a stronger future for family medicine in British Columbia.
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