South Island Division of Family Practice

After Hours Coverage Program

The After Hours Coverage Pilot is an FPSC initiative that provides family physicians and nurse practitioners with a solution supported by HealthLink BC that meets the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC requirements for after-hours coverage for longitudinal patients. The program aims to address pain points raised by family doctors during the recent Doctors of BC engagement series (see The Future of Primary Care: Doctors of BC 2022 Member Engagement Report).

The pilot aims to launch in September 2023 in Langley, South Okanagan Similkameen, South Island and Victoria, and Thompson Region divisions. It will run for six months. During the pilot, attached patients in the pilot communities will be able to call a dedicated line at HealthLink BC for after-hours medical care and management from a longitudinal perspective.

Sign up to use the After Hours Care Program (AHCP) Pilot service now!

Please click here to access FPSC’s sign up form and/ or to learn more about the AHCP Pilot.
Following two successful Kickoff Launch Webinars, the AHCP service has already started signing providers up to work the service and/ or to utilize the service.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding sign up or the AHCP Pilot itself, contact Myla Yeomans-Routledge, Project Manager at myla.yr@sidfp.com

AHCP website: https://fpscbc.ca/after-hours-coverage 

AHCP team email address: ahcp@doctorsofbc.ca

Link to the kick-off webinar recording: https://fpscbc.ca/after-hours-coverage/whats-new

AHCP sign-up form: https://fpscbc.ca/after-hours-coverage-register

AHCP FAQ: https://fpscbc.ca/after-hours-coverage/faqs

 

Member update | July 2023

After Hours Coverage Program

Dear Victoria & South Island Members,

We are excited to announce that sign up is now open for the After Hours Coverage Program pilot, launching mid-to-late September (assuming sufficient physicians sign up to staff the service). Keep reading to learn more.

Addressing a top burden facing family physicians

In the summer 2022 engagement series, family doctors indicated that the requirement to provide after-hours care was one of the top three burdens they face, and for new graduates, it was often a barrier to going into longitudinal practice. Similar frustrations have been expressed by longitudinal nurse practitioners.

The After Hours Coverage Program is a direct result of those engagements. It aims to reduce this burden - while also improving patient access to care outside of regular office hours. With guidance from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and in partnership with HealthLink BC and five divisions of family practice, Family Practice Services Committee (DoBC) has developed this provincial solution to benefit patients, physicians and nurse practitioners, and our overall health care system.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the After Hours Coverage Program pilot, please contact Myla Yeomans-Routledge, Project Manager at myla.yr@sidfp.com.