The Disintegration of Family Doctors in Canada

“It is a no-brainer that a family doctor working with dwindled real earnings for over twenty years is less likely to engage actively in practice.”

In British Columbia, a crisis is brewing, quietly yet perniciously, in the heart of our healthcare system. Over the last two decades, family doctors have faced a yearly diminution in their real earnings due to sub-inflationary increases, a trajectory that has not only marred their financial stability but has undeniably impinged upon the quality of healthcare services available to the BC populace.

A glance at the statistics showcases the stark reality. While BC is home to 6,400 family doctors, merely 3,400 have longitudinal practices that ensure a sustained, cohesive approach to patient care. It is a disheartening figure, revealing a fissure in the bedrock of the province's healthcare.

Adding more seats to medical schools and fostering team dynamics aren’t the panacea for this escalating problem, as is being hailed by several quarters. To truly get to the heart of this crisis, we need to look at the remuneration model for family doctors — a model that, in its current form, has proven inadequate to retain these pivotal players in our healthcare ecosystem. It is a no-brainer that a family doctor working with dwindled real earnings for over twenty years is less likely to engage actively in practice.

The answer, therefore, lies not in inundating the healthcare sphere with fresh graduates or team-building exercises but in radically rethinking the financial model steering the sector. Revisiting and revamping the remuneration strategy to afford family doctors a pay that recognizes and respects their foundational role is not just necessary but absolutely imperative.

The continuous pay cut experienced year after year sends a discouraging message to both existing and prospective family doctors. It unambiguously states that their crucial role in the healthcare foundation is not fully appreciated or valued. To reverse this damaging perception, BC needs to champion a pay rise that echoes the invaluable services these professionals offer and signals a respect for their irreplaceable role in the healthcare machinery.

Let us put aside the complex terminologies and the exhausting rhetoric, focusing instead on the clear-cut, straightforward solution — better pay for family doctors to ensure a thriving, robust healthcare system for all BC residents.

It is time to break free from the cycle of inadequate remuneration and herald a new era where family doctors are encouraged and supported to lay down strong roots in BC’s healthcare landscape, fostering environments where both doctors and patients can flourish, grounded in mutual respect and financial stability. Period.