One million B.C. residents now connected to primary care since 2018
The Province says about 80% of British Columbians now have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, and people can still sign up for a match.
If you are still looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner, the Province says more people than ever have one. One million people in British Columbia have been connected to a primary care provider since 2018, the year government launched actions to make it easier and faster to get primary care closer to home.
About 80% of B.C.'s population now has a family doctor or nurse practitioner. That is 4.47 million people. The Province says more than 700,000 of those connections were made over the past three years, and more than 4,000 people are getting matched each week.
Premier David Eby said having a family doctor or nurse practitioner is "one of the most important foundations of good health." He said the plan is working, but there is more to do.
Health Minister Ravi Kahlon called the one-million mark "a significant milestone" in building a public health-care system that works better for people.
How to get matched
The Province launched a system in 2023 to track matches to primary care providers across the province. If you are looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner, you can sign up on the Health Connect Registry. As of September 2026, 323,000 people are registered.
- Sign up for the Health Connect Registry at healthlinkbc.ca
- Learn more about B.C.'s health-care actions at strongerbc.gov.bc.ca
- Read about the Province's primary care strategy at gov.bc.ca
More providers in training
Through the Health Human Resources Strategy, launched in 2022, the Province is training, recruiting and retaining more doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. The Province says B.C.'s population grew by 15% between 2017 and 2025, while the number of longitudinal family doctors rose by 33% and the number of nurse practitioners tripled. It also says 1,400 new family doctors have started practising since 2018. An update on recruitment will be provided soon.
The first cohort of 48 students has started class at the new Simon Fraser University Stephens Family School of Medicine in Surrey. Enrolment will grow in phases to 120 students a year, which the Province says will help meet the province's growing need for doctors.
Source: BC Gov News
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