Regular medical care, or primary health care, is about keeping you healthy through access to basic, everyday health care services. We believe in taking a proactive approach to your personal health care by encouraging ongoing comprehensive care  with a family doctor. Meeting your primary health care needs may involve other health professionals such as nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and social workers. 

Primary health care providers can:

• Provide support to help you stay healthy and avoid getting sick or injured
  

• Ensure you and your family have up to date immunizations
  

• Advise you on what health screening services you should access
  

• Help you prevent or manage chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
  

• Provide initial diagnosis and treatment of illness
  

• Empower you to take an active role in your own health care
  

• Help you understand the factors that influence your health
  

• Organize services and navigate your through the range of health services you require
  

Accessing health care

• Family doctors
  

• Community health centres - see map below
  

• HealthLink BC - Call 8-1-1 (7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) for a free, 24-hour telephone service, staffed by registered nurses, pharmacists and dieticians who can answer your health-related questions with translation services in over 130 languages.

• Walk-in clinics - If you have a health concern that is not an emergency, and you do not yet have a family doctor, walk-in clinics provide non-emergency health care services on a drop-in basis. 
  

• Urgent primary care offers same-day care for unexpected, non-life-threatening health conditions.
  

• Hospital emergency department - If you are not dealing with an emergency health condition, use primary care services instead. Not sure if it’s an emergency? Find out here.
  

• Emergency phone numbers - Find contact information for physical and mental health resources.