The future of Taylor’s medical clinic is up in the air after the North Peace Primary Care Clinic, which provides doctors to the facility, announced it wasn’t renewing its annual contract with the District of Taylor.
In a letter to the district, the NPPCC said it would be discontinuing services as October 1, 2022.
“Our clinic would be shifting to a different funding model from the aforementioned date and with this change, it would no longer be practical for us to continue to provide services at the Taylor Medical Clinic,” said the letter.
Taylor Mayor Rob Fraser is saddened to have received the document.
“I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to work out some kind of a contract with the clinic uptown to extend our clinic in Taylor.”
“The doctors have changed the way they want to do their business. They just feel they don’t have the time to come to Taylor anymore.”
Fraser said council was aware the clinic was looking at opting out of the agreement, but it’s still discouraging.
“We’ve worked for a long time to try different models and it’s just been very difficult to keep this clinic open.”
With the current council in its last few weeks before next month’s municipal election, the timing is awful.
“We’re frustrated. It’s at the end of our term. There’s lots going on to finish up and we really haven’t dove into what the next step might be whether it’s back to tele-health.”
Fraser adds council will have a chance to broach the issue when it meets with Minister of Health Adrian Dix during a one-on-one session during the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention Sept. 12-16 in Whistler.
We have reached out to the North Peace Primary Care Clinic for further comment and are awaiting a response.
This is a developing story.
