Updated November 18, 2024
Table of contents:
- After Hours Care reduces ER visits, improves access.
- After Hours Care program is evolving.
- After Hours Care program pilot: The first three months.
- Shuswap North Okanagan Division to join the After Hours Care program pilot.
- Pilot program helps lift burden of after hours care.
- Communications toolkit for family practices to use with patients.
- Do you have questions about the After Hours Care service?
After Hours Care reduces ER visits, improves access
BC’s After Hours Care program is making a difference for people and physicians, by connecting people to the care they need when their family physician is not available and removing a top burden experienced by physicians.
The After Hours Care program saw 584 family physicians and nurse practitioners sign up to use the program with their patients in its first year. The numbers represent an estimated 597,000 patients who now have a family doctor across the five regions included in the pilot. Read more about the evaluation, and download an infographic about the pilot evaluation.
After Hours Care program is evolving
FPSC is pleased to announce that the After Hours Care program pilot, initially set to end March 19, 2024, is transitioning to an ongoing program and expanding to a new region, providing certainty to participating family physicians, nurse practitioners, and their patients.
On January 22, 2024, the Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice joined the After Hours Care program to help test the expansion process and address the current access to after hours care challenges in Vernon. Conversations are underway between Doctors of BC and the BC Ministry of Health about plans to expand the program further throughout the province. Read more.
After Hours Care program pilot: The first three months
As of December 12, approximately 70% of family doctors and nurse practitioners in communities participating in the After Hours Care program pilot have signed up to use the service with their patients, serving a combined population of 370,000 attached patients. In addition, more than 90 physicians have signed up to staff the service, more than half of whom have so far staffed one or more shifts. Read more.
Shushwap North Okanagan Division to join the After Hours Care program pilot
The Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice will soon be added to the After Hours Care program pilot. The pilot, which started in September 2023 as a six-month endeavour through the partnership of the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) and HealthLink BC, is currently planned to start expanding across the province in April 2024. Read more.
Pilot program helps lift burden of after hours care
A pilot program that provides after hours care for attached patients of family physicians and nurse practitioners in the Langley, South Island, South Okanagan Similkameen, Thompson Region, and Victoria Divisions of Family Practice is already showing results. Read more.
Communications toolkit for family practices to use with patients
We've developed materials for family practices to share with patients to support you in communicating about the After Hours Care program. You can download materials from this page: fpscbc.ca/after-hours-care/using-the-service/toolkit.
Do you have questions about the After Hours Care service?
Contact: ahcp@doctorsofbc.ca.Click here to sign up
| Sign up to use or work the service |
| Download PDF 1-pager about the 2023 pilot |