NDP Leader John Horgan said on Monday the NDP will build urgent care centres to improve access for people to doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, mental health workers, and many other front-line health care providers.

“Christy Clark and the BC Liberals are letting patients down. 700,000 people in BC don’t have a family doctor, forcing them to wait for hours in lines at walk-in clinics or hospital emergency rooms for care,” said Horgan.

“We’re going to make sure people get the health care services they count on. We’re going to build urgent care centres and make team-based primary care the model for primary care in BC. People who need help will get it faster, and it will relieve the pressure on emergency rooms.”

Urgent care centres take a team-based approach to health care. They are open on evenings and weekends and can handle health care needs that walk-in clinics can’t, like broken bones, burns and other non-emergency care. When visiting an urgent care centre, patients could see a doctor, nurse-practitioner, pharmacist or other health professional, depending on their needs.

Horgan’s plan to build urgent care centres will:

* Ensure faster, better access to health care to more people
* Ease the pressure on emergency rooms
* Fill the gap for the 700,000 people in BC without a family doctor
* Keep people healthy and well over the long term