A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) has opened in Esquimalt as part of the province’s ongoing efforts to increase healthcare access in the region.
The Esquimalt clinic has been in a temporary location since June. It is the fifth UPCC on the Island.
The new permanent location is located at 890 Esquimalt Road and offers same-day urgent care for patients from Esquimalt and neighbouring View Royal.
The clinic is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by drop-in and scheduled appointments.
“A new, permanent location for primary care in Esquimalt means that more people will have expanded access to the team-based, comprehensive health care they need,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “This is an example of our primary care strategy at work, increasing and improving access to everyday primary health care throughout the province.”
The UPCC serves two purposes. The first is providing care for people experiencing non-life-threatening conditions, such as an ankle sprain or a sore throat, who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department visit.
The second purpose will be attaching patients to a regular primary care provider if they do not have one.
The new facility opened with 11 full-time health-care workers, including physicians, nurses, mental health and substance use consultants, and social workers.
To date, six UPCCs have been announced in the Island Health region, including Westshore, Nanaimo, James Bay (Victoria), North Quadra (Victoria), Downtown Victoria and Esquimalt.
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