Cut red tape faster, family doctors urge, as B.C. legislature resumes sittings [Video]

Family doctors say they are encouraged by commitments in B.C.’s speech from the throne to attach more British Columbians to primary care, but say the province needs to speed up the work.

In Tuesday’s speech, the NDP government pointed to efforts to recruit and retain more doctors, while allowing doctors to spend more time with their patients.

Dr. Ana Boskovic, a family doctor and board member with the B.C. College of Family Physicians said the province has work to do.

“We strongly, strongly feel that access to a family doctor should be the standard for British  Columbians,” she told Global News.

“The research shows that when a British Columbian is attached to a family doctor they have better health outcomes — meaning less emergency room visits, earlier detection and diagnoses of diseases and better management of chronic conditions.”

The B.C. government revamped its pay model for family doctors in 2023, …