Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there no urgent care in Barriere? Is this something that could be offered?
Currently, the private practice family doctors in Barriere continue to see patients for their primary care needs such as routine physical exams, prescribing medications, treatment of minor illnesses and injuries and managing chronic conditions.
Feedback from community engagement will be taken into consideration as we develop and evaluate the same-day primary care service model.
How can technology help provide more medical support to the community? Would the new framework allow for virtual care so that more patients can be seen without having to leave our community?
Virtual care for some specialist appointments is already being used in Barriere and enables patients to access care without having to travel to Kamloops.
Our primary care physicians also offer some telephone virtual care to their established group of patients.
We will explore the expansion of virtual care as part of our future planning.
If the future of primary care is to have three Full Time primary care providers, how will you also be able to offer a same-day service?
It is recognized that, at times, community members may require same-day services to remain responsive to health care needs. Scheduling the availability for ‘drop in’ appointments will be an area of focus in the planning for primary care in Barriere. This means those without a primary Care provider in Barriere can also access the same-day primary care services.
When will the emergency department re-open?
Maintaining rural emergency departments in BC has been an ongoing challenge. Through learnings from other rural areas and completing a review of the objective data, Barriere is well positioned to implement same-day access to primary care services, even if they don’t have a regular doctor or nurse practitioner.
Our primary goal is to ensure the best possible care for our patients. Every decision we make is centered around their well-being, striving to provide them with the highest standard of care and support.
For Barriere residents, this means that the emergency department in Kamloops at Royal Inland Hospital is the best option, as they’ll have access to more resources to receive the highest standard of care.
To further support the community, we have worked with our emergency health services partners to support a second Ambulance has been stationed in the area providing timely transport to the tertiary hospital in Kamloops and a back-up if needed.
What is IH doing to help recruit physicians who will stay? The community is tired of the revolving door of physicians.
There is a physician shortage across the province and with a reported 895,000 people in B.C. without a family Doctor. Provincially work has been done to create a new payment model to improve compensation for family physicians, create a provincial attachment system to help connect patients and doctors expanding their practices, and work to expand team-based care services.
IH continues to work with the Division of Family Practice and our existing providers to support recruitment and retention of primary care providers (family practitioners and Nurse Practitioners) to Barriere through avenues such as the Interior Health physician job postings and Health Match BC.
How do I access the seniors care programs? Do I need a referral?
If you’re interested in seniors care, you can connect with the team by phone: 1-800-707-8550 ext 6. You can self-refer to this program.
Where can I get more information about home support?
If you’re interested in home support, you can connect with the home support team by phone: 1-800-707-8550 ext 6. You can self-refer to this program.
Services are provided by community health workers to clients who require personal assistance with activities of daily living, such as mobilization, nutrition, lifts and transfers, bathing, grooming, in home respite etc.