The full results of the ninth Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey are now available. This survey is a key tool for Doctors of BC to hear your thoughts and feelings about your engagement with your health authority and/or local facility. By providing your feedback last October, you joined your fellow physicians throughout BC to help shape our advocacy strategy and create real change in the health care system.

Physicians told us what matters to them in challenging times

The results reflect the difficulties doctors continue to face in the health care system, as they strive to provide the best possible care to British Columbians. During October 2025, 2,387 physician members took the time to participate, sharing more than 8,000 open-ended comments on topics such as ongoing health authority reviews, their own physical and psychological health and safety, and more. This information provides a vital overview of how BC doctors feel about their health authorities, facilities, and their general day-to-day working lives.

What we heard, at a glance

  • Overall provincial engagement scores have decreased slightly, from 33% in 2023’s survey to 32% in 2025, but there are significant regional differences and trends in how physicians are feeling. These differences across regions require further investigation and could offer potential strategies to improve the health care system more broadly.
  • Results show that engaged leadership and meaningful conversations between physicians and their leaders are a key driver for overall engagement and how you feel at work. When your experience, ideas, and expertise are valued, it supports a healthier system in challenging times.
  • Almost 1,800 comments regarding physical and psychological safety revealed that many physicians deal with physical violence, most often from patients, with 72% of comments referencing violent patient encounters. Patient and family member violence has increased to 72% from 59% in the 2023 survey.
  • Physicians shared that while psychological safety incidents can stem from patient interactions, they are more often from health authority leadership, outdated policies and structures, and even fellow staff and colleagues, with nearly 40% of respondents describing instances of bullying and harassment.
  • Members shared candid thoughts about the provincial government’s ongoing review of BC health authorities, highlighting the urgent need to reduce administrative burdens and clarify governance structures. Many urged the Ministry of Health to allocate funds to system enhancements, health care workforce growth, and capacity-building initiatives.

Access the reports

The Report provides an overview of provincial and regional engagement trends, health and safety themes, and broader demographic information. Our What We Heard report shows an overview of the key findings.

A Supplemental Report with charts outlining breakdowns by practice type, location, hospital/facility, community, and more is available on our Health Authority Engagement Survey webpage, along with reports from previous years.

Our continued strong advocacy for BC’s doctors

Building on previous efforts, the results from the Health Authority Engagement Survey will be used to support our advocacy, including the continued collaborative work on Engagement Response Plans (ERPs) with health authority leadership, which have already led to successful initiatives in many health authorities. These include regional medical staff wellness surveys, increased training on violence prevention, and medical staff engagement task forces.

Many topics raised by members in the survey are already aligned with the work Doctors of BC is currently doing. This survey amplifies the voice of physicians in all kinds of communities throughout the province, which is a key part of our strategic plan.

Some examples of actions we are taking

Presentations on the results are available on request and can be arranged by filling in our contact form.