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Provincial Attachment System

Publication date: January 2, 2025

Learn how to connect with a family doctor or nurse practitioner who can take on new patients.

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About the Provincial Attachment System

The Provincial Attachment System (PAS) is composed of three registries that are connected and designed to match British Columbians looking for a primary care provider with family doctors and nurse practitioners who have the capacity to take on new patients.

  • On the Health Connect Registry, offered by HealthLinkBC, people in B.C. can register their interest in being connected to a primary care provider in their community. People can register themselves, their family, or a person in their care.
  • In the Panel Registry, family doctors and nurse practitioners can manage their patient panels and identity when they are able to take on new patients.
  • In the Clinic and Provider Registry, primary care providers can maintain information about their clinics including their address, operating hours, types of care provided, and the staff working there. Information from this registry provides a big picture of the primary care services available throughout the province and is used to identify care gaps and support future planning.

B.C.’s Provincial Attachment System was launched in 2023 as part of the provincial team-based Primary Care Strategy introduced in 2018.

Goals of the Provincial Attachment System

This Provincial Attachment System is the first of its kind in B.C. and supports a coordinated approach to connecting people with primary care providers.

Goals of the system include:

  • Connecting more people to a family doctor or nurse practitioner in their community, through a centralized provincial system.
  • Creating a streamlined, digitally enabled process for measuring and managing patient attachment to primary care providers throughout B.C and establishing consistent attachment processes in all communities throughout the province.
  • Providing information to measure the progress of connecting patients and building capacity in the health system, so that together we can effectively plan for the future and create a stronger, more accessible health system in B.C.

Since 2023, more than 600,000 people in B.C. have been connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. This means that as of Spring 2026, more than 77% of British Columbians are connected to a primary care provider and approximately 4,000 more are being connected each week through programs including the Provincial Attachment System. Find out more in the latest attachment update from the Government of British Columbia.

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Connecting people with primary care

The Health Connect Registry (HCR) is available throughout B.C. to connect people to a primary care provider (either a family doctor or nurse practitioner) in their community who has capacity to take them on as a new patient.

People can register themselves, their family, or a person in their care. People registered on the Health Connect Registry will be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner as capacity becomes available in their community.

Attachment coordinators are working in communities to match people with family doctors and nurse practitioners based on factors including how long they have been on the registry, the number of family doctors or nurse practitioners in a community who have capacity take on new patients, and a person’s age and healthcare needs.

 

Available health care resources in your community

There are primary care health resources available in communities throughout B.C. Some services that are available both while you are being connected to a primary care provider and after include:

  • HealthLink BC’s Health Services Directory  provides a searchable directory of health-related services in communities and across B.C., including walk-in clinics, urgent and primary care centers, mental health and addiction services, community health centers, and more.
  • Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are community-based networks of health care professionals and clinics who work within a community to develop local healthcare solutions that meet the unique needs of their community members. Learn about services available in your local PCN at HealthLink BC | Primary Care in Your Community.
  • HealthLink BC 8-1-1 provides free health information and advice. A health service navigator can answer questions, help you find health services in your community and connect you to a nurse, dietitian, exercise professional, pharmacist, or physician. 8-1-1 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offers translation services available in over 130 languages (call 7-1-1 for the deaf or hard of hearing).
  • Urgent and Primary Care Centres (UPCCs) provide access to care for non-life-threatening illness or injuries that require medical attention within 12 to 24 hours (e.g., minor burns, fever, asthma attacks, minor skin conditions etc.).
  • Community pharmacies can assist with routine and emergency prescription renewals and prescribe prescriptions for contraceptives (birth control) and 21 minor ailments (e.g., headaches, pink eye, uncomplicated UTIs etc.).
  • Immunizations for adults and children are provided at community pharmacies, public health units, community health centres, and primary care clinics throughout the province.
  • Health Gateway where you can view your health information online, such as lab results and information about your health visits, in a secure portal accessible with your BC Services card.
  • The First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day and First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service can provide Indigenous people with access to virtual primary care physicians, psychiatrists, addictions specialists, and other providers specialized in culturally safe care.

 

Resources and Support for Providers in PAS

Information to support family doctors and nurse practitioners in accessing and using the PAS can be found here.