Nurse practitioners say they can help fill gaps in B.C. physician shortage

British Columbia's nurse practitionerscouldhelp ease the province'sstrained health care system, says the head of the profession's main association in B.C.

In order to do that, they say the funding model the provincial health authorities use to hire nurse practitioners has to change.

• Closure of B.C. walk-in clinics spurs petition for more family doctors

Right now, most primary care is delivered through family physicians and walk-in clinics thatbill for each patient seen, saidKathleenFyvie. president of the B.C. Nurse Practitioner Association.

"We don't believe that the fee-for-service model is the best model for nurse practitioners to be working in,"FyvietoldOn the Coasthost Stephen Quinn.

"It ends up being a volume-driven practice, which has limitations in terms of how comprehensively you can deal with patients' health issues."

Instead, the nurse practitionerassociation isproposing an alternative payment plan to the health authorities, under which health care practices could apply for part of a pot of money to pay the salary of a nurse practitioner.

"The salary model has worked well in many instances," saidFyvie.

Her comments come in the wake of a petition submitted bythe Walk-In Clinics Association of B.C. that callson the provincial government to act on a physician shortage.

Can operate alone

Nurse practitionerscan perform most type of treatments needed by walk-in clinic patients, includingdiagnosingillnesses and injuries, makingreferrals to specialists and prescribingmost medications. Since 2005, they have been able to operate in B.C. without physician supervision.

• Walk-in clinics getting slammed by doctor shortage, owner says

• Closure of B.C. walk-in clinics spurs petition for more family doctors

• Wave of retiring doctors expected to worsen doctor shortage in B.C.

Fyvie pointedto the North Shore Health Science Centre primary care clinic in Kamloops, B.C. as an"extremely exciting" venture. The clinic opened in March, and is staffed by a team of nurse practitioners.

"It's very early days, but ideally, the positive outcomes demonstrated by this innovative care model will lead to expansion of these models in other jurisdictions," said Fyvie.

There are currently just over 450 nurse practionersin B.C., according to Fyvie. It's a "fairly small number," but she said nurse practionersare able to work in any health care setting.

With files from CBC Radio One's On the Coast.