Where to get care: Emergencies and urgent medical needs

January 22, 2024

Urgent and Primary Care Centres like this one in Penticton offer services that sit somewhere between an emergency department, a walk-in clinic and your doctor’s office.

When Erin’s teenage son Sam hurt his wrist at the skatepark, it didn’t seem that serious at first. However, by the evening his wrist was very swollen and painful. Erin started second-guessing her initial assessment and felt they should have her son’s injury checked.

When a family doctor or walk-in clinic isn’t available, or if it’s after hours or the weekend, we often turn to hospital emergency departments for help.

But instead of going to the local emergency department that night, however, Erin took her son to the Penticton Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC). The primary care team’s physician provided a requisition for an X-ray to be done at the hospital, and the team’s physiotherapist wrapped Sam’s wrist and provided a sling.

“It all turned out well. It wasn’t broken or fractured,” says Erin. “And it was a relief to get into the clinic that evening and have someone look at Sam’s wrist quickly.”

In this Story…

Urgent and Primary Care Centres (UPCCs): An alternative to the emergency room

Where to find a UPCC

What to expect at a UPCC

When to go to emergency or call 9-1-1

Call 8-1-1 if you’re not sure what to do

Urgent and Primary Care Centres (UPCCs): An alternative to the emergency room

Think of an urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) as a service that sits somewhere between an emergency department, a walk-in clinic and your doctor’s office.

A UPCC might be the right option for you if:

Your medical need can wait 12–24 hours
You can’t wait for an appointment with your doctor
You don’t have a family health-care provider

Read our guide to visiting an urgent and primary care centre

Some UPCCs in the Interior region accept walk-ins, while others require appointments. Appointments are made in order of urgency. Just like in the hospital emergency department, a nurse or other health-care professional will assess your symptoms and the urgency of your condition—also known as triaging.

At a UPCC, you can get care for concerns such as:

Minor injuries
Sprains and strains
Infections
Vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration
Less serious child illness and injury
High fever
Cuts, wounds or skin conditions

Where to find a UPCC

Interior Health operates nine UPCCs in:

UPCC facts & figures

The first Interior Health UPCC opened in 2018 in Kamloops
276,324 patients visited a UPCC in the Interior region between June 2018 and Apr. 2022

What to expect at a UPCC

What’s unique about a UPCC is you might be seen by one of several medical professionals—and not necessarily by a doctor first. UPCCs employ a team of professionals, which why we call this approach “team-based care.”

Depending on your medical need, you might see a:

Nurse practitioner (NP)
Physiotherapist
Registered nurse (RN)
Pharmacist

If you have mental health needs, you might meet with a social worker, or a mental health or substance use clinician. Aboriginal Patient Navigators also work at our UPCCs and can meet with First Nation, Métis and Inuit clients.

When to go to emergency or call 9-1-1

If you feel your situation requires urgent care or is life threatening, don’t hesitate to go to your hospital emergency department.

You can also call 9-1-1 from any phone, even cell phones not connected to a plan or service provider. You’ll receive priority access to emergency service providers in B.C. including ambulance, police and fire.

Here are some examples of when you should go to the nearest emergency department or call 9-1-1 for medical care:

Signs of a heart attack or stroke
Breathing difficulties
A severe allergic reaction
Convulsions that are not stopping
A serious head injury
Major bleeding
Extreme pain

View this poster to clarify when to use a UPCC and when to use an Emergency Department

Call 8-1-1 if you’re not sure what to do

Unless you’re facing an emergency, you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak to a health services navigator. Based on your symptoms, your navigator will tell you whether you need to go to emergency.

A navigator can help you find health information and services, or connect you directly with a registered nurse, a registered dietitian, a qualified exercise professional or a pharmacist. 8-1-1 also offers Video Relay Services and Teletypewriter for the Deaf and hard of hearing.

Learn more about 8-1-1

This is the first story in our three-part series on Where to Get Care. Other stories in this series:

Where to get care: Mental Health and Substance Use services

Where to get care: Getting extra help at home

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