Navigating Healthcare in Victoria: The Pros and Cons

What People Really Think About Healthcare in Victoria, BC: Pros and Cons Uncovered

Victoria, British Columbia—a stunning coastal city known for its walkable waterfronts, vibrant gardens, and ocean views. But beneath the beauty lies a healthcare system many residents describe as broken, overburdened, and disheartening.

In recent months, online forums and community threads have lit up with voices of frustration, confusion, and outright despair. The stories aren’t isolated. They reveal a troubling pattern: patients in Victoria are struggling—sometimes for weeks—to access basic medical care. So, what are the pros and cons of healthcare in Victoria right now—and what can be done to improve the situation?

The Pros: What's Working in Victoria’s Healthcare System

Despite its challenges, Victoria’s healthcare system does offer some silver linings. Here are a few elements that continue to work for many residents:

1. Virtual Care Services

The growth of telemedicine platforms has given patients more flexibility. Services like Tia Health, Rocket Doctor, and Maple provide virtual consultations—often within hours—for a variety of non-emergency needs. Many of these services are covered by BC’s Medical Services Plan (MSP), though premium or after-hours appointments may come at a cost.

These platforms have become especially helpful for prescription renewals, referrals, and basic health concerns, offering much-needed access when in-person clinics are full.

2. Strategic Use of UPCCs

Urgent and Primary Care Centres (UPCCs) in the region continue to serve as lifelines, particularly when accessed strategically. Clinics like those in Gorge, North Quadra, or the Peninsula often release same-day appointments at specific hours in the morning. Residents who plan ahead and call precisely when phone lines open are more likely to secure a spot. It’s not ideal, but for those who know how the system works, it can be an effective way to get timely care.

3. Subscription-Based Private Clinics

While not accessible to everyone due to cost, private healthcare clinics in Victoria—such as Perpetual Health and Beta Health—offer subscription-based services with guaranteed access to physicians. For those who can afford it, this model provides a more predictable and responsive experience.

The Cons: A System Struggling to Cope

Unfortunately, the drawbacks are significant—and they impact thousands of people every day. The most pressing issues include:

1. Shortage of Family Doctors

Victoria is in the midst of a major family physician shortage. Many clinics have closed or stopped taking new patients, leaving residents without consistent care. Signing up for Health Connect or similar waitlists often leads to years of waiting with no updates or guarantees. This gap is particularly concerning for those managing chronic conditions or needing preventative care.

2. Overloaded Walk-In Clinics

Walk-in clinics across the city are routinely at capacity. Getting an appointment often requires calling multiple locations at specific times, waiting on hold, and facing inconsistent communication. For people with full-time jobs or mobility challenges, this method simply isn’t sustainable.

3. Emergency Rooms as a Last Resort

When clinics fail to offer appointments, many people turn to emergency rooms—even for issues that aren't life-threatening. This leads to long wait times, overworked staff, and a system that cannot efficiently triage based on urgency. While the ER offers diagnostic tools and immediate intervention, it’s not the right environment for all types of care, and many patients feel hesitant to use it unless absolutely necessary.

4. Emotional and Mental Toll

The process of securing healthcare in Victoria has become emotionally exhausting. Repeated rejections, unanswered emails, and long waits create feelings of helplessness and stress. The current system expects patients to be highly proactive—calling at precise times, researching alternatives, and navigating convoluted procedures—all while often feeling unwell.

Workarounds and Alternative Solutions

In response to these frustrations, some residents have developed their own methods for getting care:

• Using multiple telehealth platforms simultaneously to increase chances of success.
• Calling UPCCs or clinics at exact opening times, often as early as 7:59 a.m., to beat the queue.
• Relying on pharmacies for emergency refills when prescriptions run out.
• Seeking care through naturopaths or allied health providers, especially for minor or recurring concerns.
• Joining private clinics, despite the monthly fees, for guaranteed access to care.

These strategies aren’t ideal and speak volumes about how resourceful patients must become just to receive basic services.

What Needs to Change

The problems with healthcare in Victoria aren’t just the result of high demand—they stem from years of systemic issues: aging physicians retiring without replacements, increasing population growth, and inadequate funding for frontline services.

To move forward, many believe the following steps are essential:

• Recruiting and retaining more family doctors, especially in high-need regions.
• Expanding and properly staffing urgent care centres.
• Enhancing integration between telehealth and in-person services.
• Building new medical infrastructure, potentially including another hospital in the West Shore area.
• Reducing administrative bottlenecks and improving communication within clinics.

Ultimately, access to healthcare should not require this level of persistence. It’s time to stop expecting patients to adapt and instead expect the system to evolve.

Hope on the Horizon?

Victoria's healthcare system is at a crossroads. While some progress is being made—especially in digital health—many residents are still falling through the cracks. The community is resilient, and people are finding ways to support each other, but it shouldn't be this hard to get medical help.

Living on an island should bring peace of mind, not worry over how to refill a prescription or see a doctor. With better policy, investment, and planning, change is possible.