Whereas many British Columbians in the province do not have appropriate access to primary care services; And whereas the Province introduced team based primary care clinics to serve and build inter-disciplinary primary care teams in each community to ensure patients are at the center of health care delivery: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Ministry of Health to establish team based primary care clinics in all BC communities.
Ministry of Health In 201819, the Ministry of Health launched a transformational team-based primary care strategy envisioned to increase patient attachment and access to quality, comprehensive, culturally safe and person-centred primary care services across the province. Team-based primary care is delivered using a number of different models of care, including: full-service Family PracticesPatient Medical Homes; Urgent and Primary Care Centres; Community Health Centres; First Nations Primary Health Care Centres; and Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Clinics. These clinical service models include teams of primary care providers ie. family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and allied health professionals in a defined geography, working together in local Primary Care Networks in order to better coordinate and leverage existing and new providers and services to meet the needs of local citizens. Primary Care Networks are a significant component of the Primary Care Strategy and the requisite primary care teams. As of March 31, 2021, the Ministry of Health has: - established 53 Primary Care Networks, - added 23 Urgent and Primary Care Centres, - opened one new and two expanded Community Health Centres s, - launched one First Nations Primary Health Care Centres with 14 more in planning, - opened and operating three Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Clinics, and - approved funding for over 1400 team-based FTE resources. With a Ministry of Health commitment of 85 Primary Care Networks by end of 202223, initial investments in primary care networks and team-based care resources have been recognized as a starting point to BC governments primary care transformation strategy. With the objective to fill in primary care service gaps in all regions of the province and ensure access continues to be equitable, culturally safe and high quality for British Columbians, the Primary Care Strategy will take time to shift the health care structures towards a system that responds to the needs, values, goals and preferences of patients, their families and caregivers.