No family doctor in BC: registering with Health Connect and how long the wait is

Register first, then wait

Anyone in BC without a family doctor can register with the province's Health Connect Registry. Freedom-of-information data from June 2025 show that of the 1.41 million people in BC without a family doctor, only 380,000 were on the provincial list. More than 70% had not joined the queue.^[4]

How many people have no family doctor

In April 2026, the health minister told the legislature that 1,259,425 people in BC had no family doctor or nurse practitioner, about 23% of the population.^[1]

Note that 1.41 million is a June 2025 figure and 1.26 million is the health minister's April 2026 figure. They differ in date and in how they were counted, so they should not be subtracted from each other.

How long the wait is

The same briefing gave median waits by health authority. Vancouver, Richmond and the North Shore belong to Coastal; Burnaby, Surrey and Coquitlam belong to Fraser.^[1]

How to register

1. Search for Health Connect Registry online and fill in the form, which takes about 5 minutes, or call 811 (24 hours, Chinese interpretation available on request).^[2]
2. Have your PHN ready (the number on your BC Services Card).
3. A family can register together.

How matching works

Matching is not first come, first served; people with more serious health conditions are prioritized. Patients who were on a clinic's waitlist keep their original date when transferred to the registry. If a match does not work out, your place in line is not lost.^[3] The province says it is currently matching about 4,000 people a week.^[5]

Waits vary widely by region: the Coastal median is about six months, while Interior is close to 16 months. People who have registered and heard nothing can use their own health authority's figure as a guide.^[1]

Getting care while you wait

• For minor problems, start with a pharmacist.
• For urgent but non-emergency problems, an Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) can help; there are 47 across the province.
• Call 811 for a nurse assessment, who can connect you with a video-visit physician if needed.^[6]

For anyone not yet registered, getting on the list is the first step. The province says it matches about 4,000 people a week; the actual wait depends on the supply of doctors in your region and the priority level of your health condition, and the official page describes the process after registration.^[3][5]