VICTORIA, B.C.: A new independent review of data obtained through freedom of information requests is raising serious questions about the cost and performance of British Columbia’s Urgent and Primary Care Centres.
The report, prepared by Health Data BC, found that the operating costs of UPCCs averaged $186.06 per patient visit. By comparison, the report notes that a standard fee-for-service family doctor visit bills MSP at $38.61, while a 15-minute visit under the Longitudinal Family Physician model bills at $57.50.
“British Columbians were promised better access to urgent and primary care. What this report shows is a model costing taxpayers $186 per visit, while many patients still cannot get timely access to care,” said Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Rural Health and Seniors Health. “That should concern every person who wants to see our health care dollars focused on front-line care.”
Newly elected Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., Kerry-Lynne Findlay, said, “The B.C. Conservatives are committed to ensuring that the Ministry of Health uses taxpayer dollars responsibly, while guaranteeing that British Columbians have access to outstanding healthcare. The NDP government’s approach has resulted in high costs and poor results, and they must be held accountable for their continued failure to fix our failing healthcare system.”
Day said the report’s numbers reflect what he continues to hear from constituents in Courtenay-Comox, where patients report that available UPCC appointment slots are often filled within minutes of opening, leaving many people with nowhere to turn but the emergency department, even for non-emergency care.
“That is the frustration I hear in my riding,” said Day. “People are doing exactly what government told them to do. They are trying to avoid the emergency room. But when they call the UPCC and the day’s available appointments are gone within minutes, they are pushed right back to the ER. Meanwhile, by the government’s own admission, nearly 1.4 million British Columbians still do not have a primary care provider. That is not the access people were promised.”
The report also notes that the average UPCC visit cost is more than three times the amount billed for a 15-minute family doctor visit under the Longitudinal Family Physician model, and nearly five times the standard fee-for-service family medicine visit.
“This is not a criticism of the front-line staff working in UPCCs,” said Day. “They are doing their best inside a system that is clearly not meeting demand. The question for government is whether this model is delivering value for patients and taxpayers.”
Day is calling on the provincial government to publicly release full UPCC performance data by site, including cost per visit, staffing levels, attachment outcomes, access failures, and the number of people who try to access care but are turned away.
“After years of announcements and ribbon cuttings, British Columbians deserve a clear answer,” said Day. “Are UPCCs reducing pressure on emergency rooms and improving access to primary care, or are we paying more money for less care? In a time of an acute doctor shortage, it is unclear whether the decisions made by this government are improving access to primary healthcare for British Columbians, or simply flattering to government in press releases.”
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
