November 1, 2021 | At its last GPSC meeting, members approved one year of enhanced funding to support the networks of family doctors who are providing longitudinal care for hospital inpatients in 47 communities. This funding will enable the GPSC to collaborate with partners to identify a process for developing a sustainable long-term solution for this work.
The GSPC has been supporting family doctors in providing in-patient care since 2013 through enhanced incentives and networking fees for attached and unattached (unassigned) patients in hospital. Since 2018, the committee has also been providing enhanced funding to seven midsized communities at risk of not sustaining their community family physician in-patient model through the current supports.
At its September meeting, the GPSC approved a proposal for one year of enhanced funding to support networks of family doctors in providing longitudinal care for hospital inpatients.
This means that enhanced bridge funding initially provided in 2018 will be renewed for seven communities – Campbell River, Chilliwack, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Prince George, South Island, South Okanagan Similkameen – and provided to an additional 40 communities for one year starting in April 2022, recognizing that challenges to sustainability of in-patient care provision by community family physicians are more widespread.
The funding eligibility criteria for additional communities will be defined and communicated to all the divisions of family practice in the weeks ahead. The funding formula for each community will be tiered based on the number of inpatients who need care. Watch your inbox for an email from GPSC.billing@doctorsofbc.ca.
This one year of funding will allow the GPSC to collaborate with partners in identifying a process for developing a sustainable solution for providing primary care support to hospital inpatients.
GPSC meeting summaries are posted on the GPSC website.