More urgent care opportunities appear headed to Kamloops for people who don’t have access to a family doctor.

A request for proposals quietly put out by Interior Health [IH] has confirmed work is being planned for a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre on the north shore.

“[The] Kamloops North Shore UPCC located at 700 Tranquille Road in Kamloops, BC, is looking to create an approximate 8,200sq.ft. (760sq.m.) space for clinical and support needs including workstations in a new IH lease space located in North Hills Mall,” states the request for proposals, which was issued online for tender by Interior Health in late November.

The large-scale work space is where medical personnel would provide non-emergency medical care, with expectations it could open in about a year’s time.

“The project will support two guiding Primary Care goals from Ministry of Health,” states the RFP, which is due to close on December 22nd.

“Enhancing the quality and value of the care experienced both by individual patients and specific populations; and improving the performance of the health care system both in terms of the quality of clinical services, linked to meaningful clinical outcomes, as well as improving the overall system efficiency and productivity based on health outcomes achieved per dollar spent.”

The new north shore Urgent and Primary Care Centre would “augment” the only other location for urgent and primary care in Kamloops, which is at Royal Inland Hospital.

Speaking on NL Mornings, Kamloops councillor Katie Neustaeter says word of the proposed facility is welcome – and much needed – for the community.

“50 per cent of people who don’t have a family doctor in the Interior [Health Region] are here in Kamloops. That’s unacceptable,” said Neustaeter. “I hope that IH continues to turn their eye to Kamloops and give us what we deserve so that people can be healthy and live well.”

According to Interior Health, they expect the facility will be operational by the end of next year.

“We can confirm planning is underway for a new urgent primary care centre in Kamloops North Shore, which is expected to open in late 2024,” said Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, Executive Director of Clinical Operations for Kamloops in a written statement to Radio NL.  “It will focus on providing same-day access for urgent and episodic care and we look forward to having more details to share closer to the opening.”

At this time, around 25 different companies have expressed interest in potentially building the new UPCC.

It comes on the heels of Interior Health opening a new X-ray and bone density clinic within the North Hills Mall location earlier this month.