Brand new B.C. primary care centre can’t find doctors to staff it
July 15, 2022
A Chilliwack family doctor says the mismanagement of healthcare dollars at the new Chilliwack and Fraser Heath Rural Primary Care Centre (PCC) “is completely staggering.”
The doctor, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, says the B.C. Ministry of Health has been unable to recruit any physicians to work at the clinic, which opened May 17, 2022, at 7955 Evans Road. What’s more, he says there are four nurse practitioner spots that remain vacant.
The doctor said there were four physicians and “a handful” of nurse practitioners working at the old PCC at Chilliwack General Hospital (CGH), and all four have decided to leave within the next few months or so. One physician had reportedly been hired for the new PCC, but the doctor believes that person has since backed out.
“This has largely been due to the poor experience of the negotiations process and significant loss of autonomy that comes with working under the (Fraser) health authority,” the doctor said. “A few of the physicians were considering going elsewhere already but this has solidified the decision for them.
“So we have a shiny, brand new clinic in Chilliwack that cost millions to build, and we actually have a net loss of physicians to work there.”
The doctor believes B.C.’s Ministry of Health prefers to rely more on nurse practitioners, and said Chilliwack has some wonderful people in that role. But they are part of the solution, not the entire solution.
“When they work in teams with physicians, truly excellent care can be delivered,” the doctor said. “However, they are more expensive per patient, and will not solve our current crisis. We need to incentivize community-based family medicine, to attract new graduates and convince family doctors in semi-specialized niche practice that full scope community practice is just as well compensated and valuable.”
Source: Langley Advance Times
