Family doctors to receive $29M one-time funding to stabilize inpatient and maternity care in hospitals, and in long-term care

An e-mail from the co-chairs of the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) has been sent to family physicians in BC announcing $29 million in one-time funding to stabilize maternity and inpatient care in hospitals, as well as care in long-term care facilities. FPSC is made up of representatives from Doctors of BC and the BC government.

The funding is an interim measure to provide stability until such time as the Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model is updated to cover these aspects of facility-based care. An announcement is expected to take place no later than October 2023.

Criteria considered when determining funding amounts included: the need to be equitable across communities, provide flexibility at the local level, and minimize administrative burden. In addition, the committee considered the number of family physicians providing care and their volume of work within the total funding envelope.

The funding allocation will be as follows, and is over and above funding already provided by FPSC:

• Inpatient care – $10.2 million – to divisions of family practice to administer for physician payments in support of in-patient care.
• Maternity care – $5 million – funding will go directly to physicians who are participating in the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative and commit to maintaining their hospital maternity services until December 31, 2023.
• Long-term care – $13.5 million – funding to physicians who are participating in the FPSC Long-Term Care Initiative with a minimum of five long-term care beds who commit to maintaining their long-term care services until December 31, 2023.

In early June, FPSC will email information to the divisions explaining how to apply for physician compensation for the inpatient funding. FPSC will email information about applying for a one-time maternity grant to family physicians who are actively participating in the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative, and information about applying for a one-time long-term care grant to eligible family physicians who are participating in the Long-Term Care Initiative.

More information including detailed Qs and As is available on the FPSC website.