Whereas many communities across the province, particularly in rural and remote areas, there exists a shortfall of qualified staff to provide healthcare services; And whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional demand on healthcare services; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to increase funding for additional resources to provide necessary primary healthcare services across the province such as increased Primary Care Network funding to support team based care in clinics physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, etc; funding for new Community Health Centres CHC; and a review of the payment model for physicians in clinics, providing an alternative to the fee-for service model which is ill-suited to the CHC model for providing health care.
Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health The Ministry appreciates this request and shares UBCMs interest in primary healthcare services across the province including increased investments in Primary Care Networks and new CHC, and a review of the fee-for-service payment model for physicians in clinics. The Ministry is working to enhance its investment in Primary Care Networks and CHCs under the primary care strategy and through its commitment to increasing and improving access to primary care throughout the province. The primary care strategy is expanding access to care, increasing attachment to primary care providers, building health-care teams, and implementing new models of care to better serve the needs of the changing population. In August 2022, the Province, in partnership with the Doctors of BC, announced 118 million in stabilization funding to support family physicians and help ensure that patients have continued access to primary-care services. This is part of a multi-phased approach to help protect and strengthen BCs health-care system, including improving recruitment and retention of health-care providers and adding additional resources to increase training capacity. This funding is also part of an expansion of BCs primary care strategy, which includes the development of a new compensation model. On October 31, 2022, the Province and Doctors of BC announced the achievement of a new payment model for family doctors to help protect, support and strengthen BCs health-care system and patient care. Under the new payment model, the Province will be better able to attract new family doctors to family practice and retain existing doctors. Key components of the new payment model include the time spent by family physicians providing primary care services, patient encounters, complexity, and attachment. The Province and Doctors of BC have also reached a tentative physician master agreement PMA, which includes several commitments that will better support doctors as they care for their patients. The new three-year tentative PMA drives continued collaboration by the Ministry of Health, physicians, Doctors of BC, and regional health authorities to achieve key priorities that improve health care. It also addresses work completed after regular operating hours by advancing improvements to existing alternative physician payment contracts and increases. In addition, initiatives outlined in BC Health Human Resources Strategy to increase FP, NP and RN training seats as well as streamline processes for internationally educated health professionals are also expected to address the core team capacity requirements.