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March 20, 2018 - 5:30 PM
SUN PEAKS - Thousands of Kamloops residents have moved from a family doctor wait list to a primary care provider, and with a new family practice open in Sun Peaks, more are expected to come off that list.
Health Link B.C. set up a universal waitlist for Kamloops residents needing a doctor in 2016, where you can call 811 to register. The Ministry of Health says more than 6,400 people from the list have been connected to a primary care provider, whether that's a doctor or nurse practitioner.
"There are still 2,620 people on the waitlist – down from a high of 7,007 at the end of August 2017," the ministry says in an email statement. "This steady decline in the waitlist shows that this initiative is working."
Laura Bantock is the executive director of the new Sun Peaks Family Practice which opened in January, and she's also a registered nurse. She says some patients at the practice are from Kamloops, and she wants to connect at least 200 people from the Health Link wait list with the family doctors in Sun Peaks, Dr. Shane Barclay and Dr. Harpreet Kelly.
"We just started taking patients about three weeks ago from the 811 list," Bantock says. "We have 45 patients registered from that list and we're still working on about 20."
It means approximately 65 people from the list have been connected to the office so far. Bantock hopes that once 200 people from the wait list have been connected to the office, she can reassess and try to take on 100 to 200 more patients, if the office can do so comfortably.
"We don’t want to get to a situation where patients are waiting three weeks to be seen by a doctor."
Bantock says Dr. Barclay, the practice's full time doctor, has been asking patients from the Kamloops area how the practice would meet their needs for a family doctor, including if they have reliable transportation to the office and can get there safely.
"The overwhelming response we've had is 'we've been looking for a family doctor for a long time'," Bantock says. "People are generally thrilled."
She points out that because of the location and the lack of public transportation between Kamloops and Sun Peaks, the office isn't the best fit for everyone, but for those who can get there safely and reliably, they're welcoming patients.
"Just from practicalities points of view, I would want to encourage people who can safely make that drive," she says. "I wouldn’t want to say no to anybody, we’re not going to say no to anybody, but we are remote."
She knows of at least one patient who was travelling to the Lower Mainland to see their family physician before registering with the Sun Peaks practice.
As the winter season wraps up, the population of Sun Peaks dwindles and Bantock says a benefit of this office is the accessibility during the summertime or slow seasons for Sun Peaks.
The practice isn't just accepting patients from the list. You can contact the office to become a patient at the practice either by going online, phoning or going in person.
Go to the Sun Peaks Family Practice website to find an intake document for more information, or phone them at 778-644-0635.
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