Premier David Eby has put Coquitlam on a list of communities slated to receive a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC), a move the B.C. NDP says is intended to broaden access to non‑emergency care and reduce strain on hospital emergency departments.
Local access and system relief
UPCCs are designed to provide urgent but non‑life‑threatening treatment, prioritizing patients by medical need so those with the most pressing conditions are seen first. Since 2018, these centres across British Columbia have reported more than five million visits, according to party figures, a statistic used to underline the role UPCCs play in the provincial health network.
On the campaign trail ahead of the Oct. 24 snap election, Premier Eby named Coquitlam alongside several other jurisdictions that his party says will receive new UPCCs if the plan proceeds.
| Communities named |
|---|
| Coquitlam |
| Langley |
| North Shore |
| Greater Victoria |
| Cowichan Valley |
| Port Hardy |
Currently, the Tri‑Cities area already has UPCCs operating in Burnaby, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, providing a nearby model for how a centre in Coquitlam might operate.
What local candidates and officials are saying
BC NDP candidates running in Coquitlam ridings framed the announcement as a response to population growth and increasing demand for community health services.
“A new UPCC in Coquitlam means more people can receive care closer to home.”
The line was issued in a news release from Jodie Wickens, the BC NDP candidate for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, reflecting the local campaign emphasis on expanding health‑care capacity as the community grows.
Jennifer Blatherwick, the party’s candidate for Coquitlam–Maillardville, told Freshet News there are a number of potential sites under consideration for a UPCC around the city, signalling the party is already looking at where services could be sited if the commitment moves forward.
Broader health commitments tied to the pledge
The UPCC promise accompanies other provincial health pledges announced earlier in the campaign, including commitments to add diagnostic equipment in the Lower Mainland. The party says it will purchase additional machines for B.C. hospitals if re‑elected; that package includes 10 CT scanners and eight MRI machines, with one MRI earmarked for Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody.
Funding for these measures, the party states, would come in part from tax changes affecting high‑income British Columbians.
Implications for Coquitlam residents and the health system
For residents of Coquitlam, the addition of a UPCC would mean a new route to same‑day care for non‑critical issues such as minor injuries, infections and acute but non‑life‑threatening conditions. In practice, UPCCs aim to triage and treat people who might otherwise attend an emergency department, potentially shortening wait‑times for both emergency and urgent care patients.
- Access: A local UPCC would bring urgent care closer to home for Coquitlam residents.
- Hospital relief: UPCCs are intended to help ease pressure on emergency departments by managing non‑critical cases.
- Site planning: Candidates say several possible locations around Coquitlam are being considered.
Exactly when a Coquitlam UPCC might open, what services it would offer in full and how it would be staffed were not detailed in the campaign announcement. The pledge places the proposal among several health‑system initiatives that the party has linked to budgetary decisions and tax measures in the event of re‑election.
For many residents, particularly those who lack a regular family physician or face long emergency‑room waits, the promise of an additional local UPCC will be measured against delivery: how quickly the centre can be brought into service, where it will be located and whether it eases the day‑to‑day burden on both patients and neighbouring hospitals.
As the election campaign continues, municipal and health officials, as well as community groups, will be watching for further details on timelines, funding and specific location possibilities for a Coquitlam UPCC.
