Words Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation
Since launching in 2025, the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation’s Healthcare Assist Recruitment Program (HARP) has helped recruit seven family physicians to the Saanich Peninsula and is on track to welcome six more by fall. The Foundation has already earmarked funding to recruit an additional eight physicians, bringing the total to 21, while also exploring ways to support physician succession planning as local doctors approach retirement. The goal is to help ensure access to primary care for years to come.
The donor-funded initiative was created to help address the ongoing shortage of family doctors in the region. With 13 physicians already recruited through HARP, an estimated 16,250 residents could eventually gain access to a family doctor. Behind those numbers is a recruitment process that is far more complex than many people realize.
According to John Livingstone of Canada Medical Careers, the recruitment firm supporting HARP, recruiting a family physician often means helping an entire family relocate and settle into a new community. For many internationally recruited physicians, the process includes navigating licensing requirements, immigration procedures and relocating an entire family. “There are four licensing regulatory agencies and two federal immigration agencies involved in licensing each doctor,” says Livingstone. “It’s a complicated process.”
Many of the physicians recruited to the Saanich Peninsula come from the United Kingdom. In addition to meeting licensing requirements, they must find housing, establish banking arrangements, obtain documents such as a Social Insurance Number and driver’s license, and help their children settle into local schools.
Physicians are also choosing where they want to build their lives. “Family physicians look for safe communities, great schools and an opportunity for a healthy lifestyle,” says Livingstone. Those qualities make the Saanich Peninsula an attractive destination, but barriers still exist. Finding suitable housing can be difficult, particularly for families arriving without a Canadian credit history. Relocating to Canada can be both financially and logistically challenging, which is where HARP plays an important role.
Funded through donor support, the program covers recruitment services and provides startup loans helping physicians manage licensing fees, housing costs and other expenses associated with relocating and establishing a new practice. The goal is to help physicians settle into the community and begin caring for patients sooner.
“HARP reassures doctors that the community is supporting their success, both as physicians and for their families,” says Livingstone.
The impact is already being felt across the Peninsula. One physician recruited through HARP arrived from the United Kingdom in June 2025 and now cares for approximately 1,250 patients. As more physicians establish their practices, thousands of additional residents will gain access to a family doctor and the ongoing care that comes with it.
“Access to a family doctor is one of the most important healthcare concerns we hear about from our community,” says Heather Edward, CEO of SPHHF. “HARP was created to help remove barriers, support all community clinics and attract physicians to the Peninsula. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re seeing real results that will benefit residents for years to come.”
For Livingstone, the success of the program demonstrates what can happen when a community takes a proactive approach to healthcare. “The HARP program has been very proactive in facilitating the recruitment of thirteen doctors to the Saanich Peninsula,” he says. “I am optimistic that almost every resident of the Saanich Peninsula will soon have a family doctor.”
By helping physicians overcome the challenges of relocation and establishing a new practice, HARP is strengthening access to primary care and helping build a healthier future for the Saanich Peninsula.
