The second Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Kamloops opened Nov. 26, 2024, at Northills Mall.

Image Credit: X.COM/Interior Health Authority

A new Interior Health urgent and primary care clinic in Kamloops is the second  for the city, but it's the first in years to offer walk-in access to health care.

The urgent and primary care centre at Northills Mall just opened, alleviating some of the pressure on the first location attached to Royal Inland Hospital that opened six years ago.

Interior Health's head of clinical operations in Kamloops Kathy Doull said the new clinic is a "one-stop-shop" for primary care on the North Shore.

Although the new clinic isn't attached to the hospital, she said the services available at both will be the same with a team-based approach that includes physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and physiotherapists.

When a patient first arrives, they'll be assessed and triaged by a registered nurse. They might stay or they could leave with a later appointment, either in person or virtual, depending on the severity of the health issue. Doull also said the team-based approach means it may not be a doctor the person sees and, depending on their issue, they might immediately be referred to another health-care provider.

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"What this means is we can leverage skill and knowledge of all care providers on the site... the team will determine the care required for the person," Doull said, who oversees both urgent care clinics and most of Interior Health's care in Kamloops outside Royal Inland.

Since the first urgent care clinic was opened in Kamloops, now one of many across the province, it was soon operating at above maximum capacity. Doull said the new one will not only bring better health-care access to North Kamloops, but it's expected to alleviate pressure on the first and the emergency department.

As the name suggests, it can be an option for primary health care, and a first contact for many, or for urgent needs that need attention within a day or two without going to the emergency room.

"We don't want patients seeking care in emergency who don't need emergent care, so this will be an option to improve access," Doull said.

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She said it's too soon to know whether it will meet the demand in Kamloops, which is one of many BC cities with a lengthy waitlist for family doctors. She said the majority of people using the Columbia Street clinic are unattached, likely on that waitlist.

Aside from the emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital, the only same-day access to a doctor was at the Columbia Street Urgent and Primary Care Centre or Kinetic Energy, a private clinic. Both require phone calls at the moment their lines open in the morning in order to get an appointment.

"This is definitely a step to alleviate the need, but we know there continue to be challenges with people having access to primary care services," she said.

Though walk-ins are a new addition to Interior Health's urgent care in Kamloops, not all the primary and urgent care clinics across the health authority are restricted to calls like the one on Columbia Street. Doull said it's remained restricted to calls since it opened due to space restrictions.

The North Kamloops clinic opened Nov. 26, a year after Interior Health started the search for a contractor to renovate the leased space, but it's not at full capacity yet. Hours and appointments will be reduced until a full opening on Dec. 9 as Interior Health continues to recruit more staff and the team eases into the newly renovated clinic.

It's the ninth primary and urgent care clinic within the Interior Health region. Williams Lake is expected to see its first clinic and Vernon will soon be getting its second.

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