Family Practice Enhanced Surgical Skills

2020–2021 was a productive year for rural GPs with enhanced surgical skills in BC. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant surgical delays across the province; however, GPs with enhanced surgical skills (most of whom work at Rural Surgical and Obstetrics Network sites) helped clear the backlog and stabilize the province’s model of healthcare delivery. This feat highlighted the immense contribution that rural core services make in sustaining BC’s healthcare model.

Nationally, FP-ESS continued building partnerships with the Canadian Association of General Surgeons and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Advocating for large-scale system change with these organizations will help the development of intermediate-level relationships, particularly at universities where medicine faculties are often challenged with heterogeneity, and at the provincial level. Ongoing dialogue with the national working group partners also led to consensus and planning for a joint position paper on networks, which is awaiting endorsement from the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society.

Throughout the year, FP-ESS continued increasing awareness of its initiatives among rural physicians. The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada hosted a day-long program on the Sustainability of Rural Hospitals during its Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Course in April. FP-ESS team members led workshops on supporting generalist specialists in rural hospitals, lessons learned from global health, and network building.

FP-ESS also worked with the Rural Surgical and Obstetrical Network this past year to initiate a network of providers who can connect through different initiatives. This enabled GPs to learn C-sections, for midwives to receive coaching on enhanced surgical skills, and fellowship anesthetists to support obstetrical anesthesia updates.

Going forward, FP-ESS will further integrate its networks, continue leading quality in low-volume surgical settings, and increase networks in core services. The team will also continue working on its joint position paper on networks, as well as ongoing work to develop provincial training and assessment of FP-ESS.