How to find a Family Doctor in BC

Finding a family doctor in British Columbia can be an overwhelming process, especially if you’ve already lost your current physician. Below is a guide-to-care to help you find a family doctor based on your current needs.

Why is it important to have your own family doctor?

Having your own family doctor is essential for receiving proper long-term care, second opinions about your medical decisions, and referring you to the right specialists in a timely manner. Despite all this, many British Columbians are still without their own family doctor.

How to find a family doctor?

Below, we've listed some resources that will help you with your search. It's a good idea to be proactive and start your search early, as finding a family doctor can sometimes take time.

• CPSBC: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) has a doctor search feature that contains the contact information of 650+ practicing family physicians in British Columbia.

  • https://www.cpsbc.ca/public/registrant-directory/search-result

• Pathways: Pathways Medical Care British Columbia has a doctor search feature that contains the contact information of 100+ family practice clinics in British Columbia that may be able to accept new patients. They update their list weekly.

  • https://pathwaysmedicalcare.ca/

• FindADoctorBC

  • FindADoctorBC has a great doctor search feature. You can filter by city and by clinics that are accepting new patients. It also tells you if the clinic has doctors that are taking in walk-in patients.

    • https://www.findadoctorbc.ca/vancouver-island-region-text-search/

• Healthlink PCNs:

  • If you are living in one of the 6 PCNs (North Delta-West Newton, North Surrey-Whalley, Guildford, Cloverdale-Panorama, Fleetwood or East Newton), then you can sign up for this Healthlink waitlist that connects you to a family doctor or nurse practitioner as soon as one is available.

    • https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry/surrey-north-delta

How does insurance work with family doctors?

According to the BC government, the MSP covers the following primary care benefits:

• Medically required services provided by a physician enroled with MSP;

• Maternity care provided by a physician or a midwife;

• Medically required eye examinations provided by an ophthalmologist or optometrist for adults aged 19-64;

• Annual eye examinations for children aged 0-18 and seniors aged 65+;

• Diagnostic services, including x-rays, provided at approved diagnostic facilities, when ordered by a registered physician, midwife, podiatrist, dental surgeon or oral surgeon.

This information about the MSP is a small piece of information taken from a larger page. To view the full page, follow the link below:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/benefits/services-covered-by-msp/medical-benefits

Where to get advice?

• Healthlink: Call 811 to receive 24/7 advice on your health.

You can also reach out to us at HFC. We understand that this process can be exhausting for you. Don't give up and remember the importance of having a family doctor in maintaining good overall health. If you have any issues, please feel free to reach out to us at healthfrontiers.ca@gmail.com.

We’ll reply within 48 hours and be your shoulder to lean on.