B.C. parties clash on health care as doctor access drops to 75%, down from 82%

More than one in five B.C. residents lack a regular primary care provider, according to CCPA research drawing on Statistics Canada data. The share of B.C. residents with access to a regular family doctor fell from 82 per cent in 2015 to 75 per cent in 2024. Only 3.7 per cent of B.C. adults have regular access to a nurse practitioner, leaving a large gap.

Health care ranks second only to cost of living as a concern among B.C. voters, according to an Angus Reid survey. Many residents pay out of pocket for prescription drugs, dental care and other services, making health care costs a key driver affecting household finances.

The snap provincial election overlaps with municipal campaigns, complicating public assessment of party positions. With less than two weeks until October 24, the Conservative Party of B.C. and the BCNDP have not yet released full platforms. The B.C. Green Party and CentreBC have released extensive health care commitments.

CentreBC has pledged a $50 million fund to prevent closure of rural doctor's offices and committed to hiring and retaining more doctors and nurses through increased training and recruitment. However, CCPA analysis notes these commitments lack a coherent policy plan. The province already operates 48 health authority-run urgent and primary care centres across B.C., a model that may fill gaps left by walk-in clinics but does not align with research evidence on quality primary care.

High-quality primary care depends on patients having long-term relationships with providers or teams, research shows. Younger primary care providers are increasingly unwilling to run small businesses — the traditional model for community-based family doctors — preferring multiprofessional team settings with salary and employment entitlements like other professionals. A platform focused on training and recruiting physicians and nurses without addressing workforce retention challenges leaves the underlying problem unresolved.