More than 600,000 people connected to primary care since 2023, over 500 U.S. health professionals hired

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Posted On: April 1, 2026

 

Summary

  • More than 600,000 people have been connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2023
  • Upwards of 77% of British Columbians now have a primary care provider and approximately 4,000 more people are being matched each week
  • As of February 2026, more than 500 U.S.-trained health professionals have accepted job offers within B.C.’s public health-care system  100 more since last month’s announcement
  • B.C. now has the most doctors per capita in Canada with more than 15,000 physicians, which equates to 271 physicians per 100,000 residents, increasing the number of family doctors by nearly 1,500, which represents growth of 23% from 2017 to 2024
  • In 2025, the nursing workforce increased by 3,300, bringing the total to 78,750, while the number of nurse practitioners has tripled from 550 in 2018 to more than 1,650 to date

More than 600,000 people who did not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner in 2023 have been attached to a primary care provider a number growing by 4,000 people each week. In 2025 alone, 223,000 people got matched to a primary care provider.

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