February 4, 2025

Dear Honourable Minister Osborne,

Family doctors see every day how long waits for specialist care affect patients. The recent Doctors of BC Specialist Specialist Waitlist Survey by Consultant Specialists of BC and Doctors of BC highlights a growing challenge—delays are increasing, and patients are feeling the impact.

While waiting for specialist care, patients rely on family doctors to manage their health, but long delays make this more difficult. Conditions worsen, stress builds, and providing timely care becomes harder. The strain on the system is growing, and family doctors are doing their best to help patients navigate these challenges.

We appreciate the government’s ongoing efforts to improve access and know that solutions take time. We see opportunities to strengthen referral systems, improve coordination between family doctors and specialists, and ensure our health care system has the resources needed to support patients effectively.

Access to physician care is integral to ensuring good health for British Columbians. By strengthening access to care, we can improve patient outcomes and ease pressure across the system. We look forward to working together to find practical solutions that benefit patients and physicians alike.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maryam Zeineddin President, BC Family Doctors