Health Care Where And When You Need It

Primary care, closer to home:
Having access to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner for basic health needs is essential to your family’s health. But for too many, the endless search for a family doctor and long waits at walk-in clinics or emergency departments has become the norm. For the 2018/19 budget we are investing in better care when and where you need it. By shifting to a focus on team-based care – bringing together doctors, nurse practitioners, and other health-care professionals – we can create community networks of care to better meet the needs of families like yours. And a focus on improved primary care also means reduced lineups at clogged emergency rooms.

New and expanded hospitals:
Many B.C. hospitals are in desperate need of renovation, expansion and, in some cases, replacement. The B.C. government will invest $3.1 billion over three years on new hospitals, hospital additions or health care facilities.

Helping people faster:
We are investing funding to do more dental and hip and knee replacement surgeries to clear the backlog of patients currently waiting, as well as to manage waitlists more effectively into the future to ensure we keep up with demand.

Supporting recovery:
We are better supporting people from referral to post-surgery care for those having hip and knee replacements. The 2018/19 budget will also invest in more MRI machines over the next few years to ensure people don’t have to travel as far to get diagnosed.