Vancouver’s False Creek Surgical Centre plans to offer emergency care, Canada’s first private emergency-care facility, in addition to the private day surgeries it already performs on a for-fee basis. The Urgent Care Centre plans to charge patients $199 for a comprehensive examination, plus additional costs for any treatment.
Dr. Mark Godley of False Creek Surgical Centre has hired 24 emergency-room doctors to work in his new Urgent Care Centre, which will operate from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
B.C. Health Minister George Abbott is concerned about The Urgent Care Centre’s plans to operate within the law – the Canada Health Act. The law makes it illegal for patients to pay private clinics for procedures covered by medicare.