Health
People living in Burnaby-Metrotown will benefit from increased access to team-based primary care with the official opening of a new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) at Unit 102-4555 Kingsway on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022.
“We know access to timely health care is a top-of-mind issue for people living in British Columbia," said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Today’s announcement represents a significant step forward in meeting our commitment to building a modern, team-based primary care system that ensures all people in B.C. receive the care they need when they need it most.”
Once fully staffed, the centre will provide full service primary care with approximately 23.2 full-time-equivalent health-care workers, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, clinical counsellors and clinical pharmacists.
The centre will serve two purposes: the first is to provide urgent primary care services to people living in the community who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department. Examples of this provision are services for individuals with minor cuts or burns, headaches, sprains and those experiencing mental-health and substance-use challenges. As of Nov. 1, 2022, urgent care will be available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
The second purpose is to help attach residents to regular primary care providers in the community for their long-term, planned primary care, while continuing to provide ongoing care for unattached residents. Long-term, planned primary care will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday once all staff have been hired.
“We know people in Burnaby and the surrounding communities can face challenges finding access to health care when they need it most,” said Anne Kang, MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake. “I am proud that our government is taking bold action to ensure everybody in our province has access to the care they deserve from a team of dedicated health-care providers.”
Fraser Health will operate this UPCC and will collaborate with the Burnaby Division of Family Practice to integrate the UPCC into the Metrotown Primary Care Network (PCN).
This is the 29th UPCC announced under government’s primary-care strategy and the seventh in the Fraser Health region. Other UPCCs in the region include two in Surrey, and one each in Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Port Moody and Abbotsford. Since opening, the North Surrey, Burnaby Edmonds, Ridge Meadows, Abbotsford, Port Moody and the Surrey Newton UPCCs have cumulatively reported more than 228,000 patient visits.
People in need of support for complex and chronic conditions, including mental-health and substance use supports, will have better access to the right care from the right provider with improved connections to specialized services provided by the health authority.
This is a part of government’s work to make it easier for people to access health-care services. In August, in partnership with Doctors of BC, the Province announced $118 million for family doctors to help patients get continued care. The Province is also working on a new physician master agreement and a new compensation model, as well as implementing a health human resource strategy.
Learn More:
To learn more about the Province's primary health-care strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010
To learn more about the Province's health human resource strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464
Two backgrounders follow.
