Conservatives commit to urgent and primary care centres in 11 BC communities
Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson announced on October 19 a commitment to open Urgent and Primary Care Centres in 11 communities across British Columbia, including Coquitlam, Surrey, Comox Valley, and Kitimat.
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The Conservative Party of BC published an announcement on October 19, 2026 saying Lorne Doerkson, its leader, committed to opening Urgent and Primary Care Centres in 11 communities across the province if the Conservatives win the October 24 election.
The 11 communities named in the party's announcement are Coquitlam, North Delta, Surrey, Comox Valley, Greater Victoria, Port Hardy, Steveston, Cowichan Valley, Oceanside, Terrace, and Kitimat. The announcement gave no dollar figure and no timeline for when the centres would open.
What the party announced
The Conservative Party's announcement says the centres would offer same-day care for urgent medical needs. The party did not describe what services each centre would provide or say how many would be built in each location.
The party quotes Doerkson: "Health care in this province is in total crisis under the NDP." That is a claim the party made in its own release. The announcement also cites 1.2 million British Columbians as lacking a family doctor, nearly 2,400 emergency room temporary closures between 2023 and 2025, and 141,961 emergency room patients who left without being seen in 2024 to 2025. Those figures are from the party's own release and have not been independently verified in this article.
The announcement does not say which ministry would be responsible for funding or operating the centres, or how the sites in each community would be selected.
What the announcement does not include
The party gave no cost estimate for 11 centres, no breakdown by community, and no staffing plan. The announcement says the centres would require provincial funding and coordination but does not name a source for the money.
The Conservative Party also says the NDP has been in power for nine years without addressing primary care access. That is the party's own characterization of the NDP's record.
What voters can do
The full list of Conservative Party of BC candidates is at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc. General voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs until October 21.
Questions this story answers
Which communities did the Conservatives commit to for Urgent and Primary Care Centres?
The Conservative Party of BC's announcement on October 19, 2026 named 11 communities: Coquitlam, North Delta, Surrey, Comox Valley, Greater Victoria, Port Hardy, Steveston, Cowichan Valley, Oceanside, Terrace, and Kitimat. Those are the communities listed on the party's own announcement and have not been independently confirmed in this article.
How much would the Conservative UPCC commitment cost?
The Conservative Party of BC's announcement on October 19 did not include a dollar figure for the 11 Urgent and Primary Care Centres. The announcement described the commitment in general terms and included no per-centre cost or total budget. Those figures are absent from the party's release.
What is an Urgent and Primary Care Centre?
An Urgent and Primary Care Centre, or UPCC, is a facility that provides same-day care for urgent medical needs and ongoing primary care services. The Conservative Party of BC's announcement on October 19 committed to building them in 11 communities, though the party gave no details on what services each centre would provide or when they would open.
What did Lorne Doerkson say about health care in BC?
The Conservative Party of BC's announcement quotes Doerkson: 'Health care in this province is in total crisis under the NDP.' That is a claim the party made in its own release. The announcement also cites 1.2 million British Columbians as lacking a family doctor, and nearly 2,400 emergency room temporary closures between 2023 and 2025. Those figures are from the party's release and have not been independently verified in this article.
Is this a Conservative promise or a government commitment?
This is a campaign commitment from the Conservative Party of BC. The party has not formed government. The Conservatives would need to win the October 24, 2026 election for any of this commitment to be acted on. Lorne Doerkson is the interim Conservative leader.
What other health care claims did the party make?
According to the Conservative Party's announcement of October 19, 2026, the party says 141,961 emergency room patients left without being seen in 2024 to 2025, and that nearly 17,000 people died while on surgical or diagnostic waitlists between 2022 and 2026. Those figures are from the party's own release and have not been independently reviewed in this article.
Has the BC NDP announced Urgent and Primary Care Centres in any of these communities?
A separate announcement by the BC NDP committed to a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Greater Victoria, which is among the 11 communities named in the Conservative announcement on October 19, 2026. The NDP announcement was covered separately on this site. The two announcements are separate campaign commitments from different parties.
When can voters in BC cast a ballot?
General voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs until October 21 at locations across BC. You can find a voting place through Elections BC at elections.bc.ca. Voters can read about the Conservative Party of BC at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc.
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