Province Providing New Support For Allied Health, Clinical Support Workers To Boost Workforce

The BC government is investing about $155 million to retain and recruit allied health and clinical support staff.

“Supporting the allied health-care workforce is critical to strengthening our public health-care system,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“By investing in recruitment and retention initiatives for allied health professionals and clinical support staff, we are ensuring that people have access to the vital health-care services this workforce delivers, no matter where they live in B.C.”

The money is coming through BC’s Health Human Resources Strategy and the Allied Health Strategic Plan.

The investment includes up to $73.1 million to expand the Provincial Rural Retention Incentive and provide signing bonuses for those who fill high-needs vacancies.

Effective April 1, 2024, the incentive for health-care workers living and working in rural and remote communities was expanded.

All occupations working in eligible communities will receive the incentive, totalling up to $8,000 per year per person.

Signing bonuses will be available for staff who fill high-needs vacancies in priority occupations in rural and remote areas, difficult-to-fill vacancies in urban and metro communities, and for medical lab technologists who join GoHealth BC, a travel health-care program that sends health-authority staff on short-term deployments to rural and remote communities.

There’s also cash for clinical mentorship and peer support, mental health and wellness support, and training initiatives including tuition credits and bursaries to offset licensing exam fees for new graduates.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.