Summary

• The Province and Doctors of BC are renewing the Physician Main Agreement for four years
• The agreement will foster collaboration between the Province, Doctors of BC, doctors and health authorities to strengthen patient care and ensure doctors are supported
• The next four years will focus on adding more supports in the areas of greatest need, including improving care and supports for doctors in rural communities, and providing maternity, psychiatric and after-hours services, growing the doctor’s workforce, and addressing gender inequity and income disparities
• Votes on the agreement ended on June 4, 2026, at midnight. 4,292 of eligible doctors voted, with 91.8% supporting the agreement

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The B.C. government and Doctors of BC have ratified a renewed four-year Physician Main Agreement that will strengthen patient care and ensure doctors are supported while respecting the government’s bargaining mandate.

“Both parties approached these negotiations with a shared focus on strengthening health care for people in B.C.,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This agreement builds on our collaborative relationship with Doctors of BC and physicians, and reflects our common goal of improving patient care, while supporting the doctors who deliver it every day.”

Renewed agreement improves patient care, supports doctors

The ratified agreement supports continued co-operation between the Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC, doctors and health authorities to strengthen health care in the province and ensure doctors are available when and where patients need them most.

“The renewed Physician Main Agreement is a result of our strong collaboration and will support doctors, patients and health care in our province,” said Dr. Adam Thompson, president, Doctors of BC. “Our health care system is under enormous strain, and this agreement will help support doctors in delivering the best possible care. “Doctors of BC is committed to working with the Ministry of Health to address pressures in the health-care system and ensure that it is adaptive and responsive to the needs of British Columbians across the province.”

Included supports

• Increased funding for family doctors providing full-scope care in rural and remote communities. Funding is significantly increasing to support medical services in rural and remote communities.
• Family doctors providing maternity care will benefit from a new dedicated contract rate that will significantly increase their compensation.
• Contract rates will increase substantially for doctors providing obstetrical and gynecological services, pediatric services, and psychiatric and forensic services.
• All doctors will be eligible for an increase in after-hours compensation premiums.
• There will also be a new premium for elective surgeries scheduled on evenings, weekends and statutory holidays, and doctors will receive an increase in compensation for on-call availability.
• The renewed agreement provides dedicated funding to address gender inequity and income disparities among doctors, and across services provided to patients.
• The Ministry of Health has committed to continuing and improving the Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model, as appropriate.

Renewed investment for doctors

This agreement provides more than $1 billion over four years to support doctors and patient care, including $100 million in new funding to address workload increases for doctors paid under contracts.

Quick Facts:

• The Physician Main Agreement was previously called the Physician Master Agreement.

• Votes on the agreement ended on June 4, 2026, at midnight. 4,292 of eligible doctors voted, with 91.8% supporting the agreement

• Negotiations under the 2025 Balanced Measures Mandate support the government’s key priorities:
  • protect and strengthen critical services in B.C.’s public sector 
  • maintain labour stability in a complex round of bargaining
  • support the Province’s efforts to find operational efficiencies that preserve front-line services

Learn More:

• To learn more about rural practice programs, visit:
  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/physician-compensation/rural-practice-programs
• To learn more about Doctors of BC, visit: https://www.doctorsofbc.ca/
• To learn more about public-sector bargaining in B.C., visit:
  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employers/public-sector-employers/public-sector-bargaining