1.2 Million British Columbians Still Lack a Family Doctor

British Columbia’s New Democratic Party says it has helped connect more than a million people to primary care, but provincial data still shows a large number of residents without a family doctor. Health officials said the most recent figure available from April 2026 put the number of people not attached to a primary care provider at 1,259,425, even after years of policy changes aimed at improving access. The province has introduced a new doctor payment model, made it easier for internationally trained physicians to work in B.C., and launched an online registry to match patients with care providers. Some family doctors say those measures are improving the situation, but shortages remain especially difficult in the north, the Interior, and parts of Vancouver Island, where retirements and population growth continue to strain the system.