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Changes are coming to Prince George’s Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) beginning Sunday, Dec. 8.
Northern Health announced the changes Tuesday, Dec. 3. It comes as the doctors of the Nechako Medical Clinic, who had been operating the clinic, ended their contract with the health authority.
The clinic is located at Parkwood Place.
Under the new schedule, the UPCC will be open for pre-scheduled appointments from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For urgent walk-in care, the centre will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays.
In addition to the new hours, the clinic will be adopting a triage model of care, also starting on Sunday, Dec. 8. Under this system, patients seeking urgent care will be triaged by a nurse upon arrival.
Depending on the level of urgency, patients may be seen the same day by a physician, nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional. Care will be prioritized based on urgency, rather than the order of arrival, Northern Health states.
This change aims to better manage patient flow and reduce frustrations for individuals who have previously been turned away when all daily appointments were filled, Northern Health states.
For those with less-urgent needs, such as routine prescription renewals or minor ailments, appointments may be scheduled for the following day, or patients may be referred to other healthcare providers like their family physician, pharmacist or community resources. Some consultations will also be offered remotely via phone or video conference.
In 2025, Northern Health plans to introduce phone triage services, which could reduce or eliminate the need for patients to wait in line in person. Additionally, there are efforts underway to expand the UPCC’s weekend and holiday hours.
