Significant progress cited on family doctor, nurse practitioner attachment rates for Thompson region

TRDFP Executive Director Katherine Brown says that is the first time in years that the number has moved in the right direction.

“So I can share that as of November over 16,000 people on the provincial Health Connect Registry have been attached to a primary care provider in our region, which represents over 40 per cent of everyone who has ever joined our local waitlist,” says Brown.

According to data provided by the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice, as of Nov. 20, there are 24,673 people still on the waitlist. But at this point, Brown says more people have become attached than are having to add themselves to the waitlist.

“So we’re now seeing about 1,000 new attachments for patients every month, which is excellent,” Brown added

(Image Credit: Thompson Division of Family Practice)

However, those figures are based on waitlist data which the Division says represents 18 per cent of the population in the Thompson Region. There are people who need a doctor or nurse who aren’t on the list and the Brown says they should call 8-1-1 and register.

“If we don’t know who is looking for a physician we can’t make that local match with the providers who are now accepting new patients,” Brown said. “We understand that currently there are approximately 30 primary care providers in the region accepting new patients.”

The recent opening of the STEPS Community Health Centre in Kamloops has also made a difference.

Along with expanding primary care facilities in the area, the TDFP says much of the progress on reducing the waitlist – attachment disparity comes from more doctors and nurses arriving in the region through new Primary Care Network contracts who can take on new patients.

“We’ve implemented 34.5 new clinical resources in the region in just over 15 months which includes family physicians, nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals,” adds Brown. “So this has really supported the optimistic attachment that we’re seeing right now.”

Specifically in Kamloops, the Division says more than 14,000 people who were on the waitlist have been attached, as of Nov. 30. While more than 22,300 patients in the city are still on the waitlist – something CFJC heard today (Dec. 12).

“It’s hard to get a doctor nowadays around here,” one senior resident told us, “Oh yeah especially for seniors too, they can’t even get one, you know what I mean?”

While one woman said she does have a doctor at the moment, she’s heard from others who are struggling to find one.

“I’m a nursing student so I hear a lot of issues here in the Interior that there aren’t many family doctors available, unfortunately,” she said.

“Actually I do not have a family doctor,” another man said when asked if he’s been able to get off the waitlist. “Kind of seems a little bit hard to access those services some days, and coming from another province, the system takes a little bit longer.”

Brown says a lot of what they do is building relationships with existing practitioners to help make the Thompson area somewhere they want to stay. They also try to make it easier for a new doctor or nurse to work here, which is something they’re hoping to see results on in 2026.

“I personally have received quite a few inquiries from physicians from the U.K., the U.S., interested in our region,” added Brown. “And so currently we’re trying to find the best placements for those physicians, whether it’s in a team based clinic, or they want to open up their own clinics.”

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Significant progress cited on family doctor, nurse practitioner attachment rates for Thompson region

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