At least three doctors in Charlottetown are leaving their practice over the next few weeks, leaving more than 5,000 people in the city without a family doctor.
It is not yet clear what will happen to all patients of Dr. Chris Saunders, Dr. Ray Cook and Dr. Jocelyn Peterson, who have announced that they are packing their stethoscopes.
But Health PEI said it had no doubt it would add to the list of patients, which now has about 23,000 names.
“It’s difficult,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Catherine McNally.
“It’s hard to be a patient who doesn’t have access to primary care, whether it’s a doctor or a nurse. All of these patients will receive information from their family doctor.
Saunders published a letter saying he left his practice on July 1 after 15 years. He did not say why he was leaving or where he was going, and Health PEI would not provide details. In an interview with CBC News: Compass in 2019, Saunders, then president of the PEI Medical Society, warned of the impending eviction of doctors.
Dr Catherine McNally, chief medical officer at Health PEI, says the shortage of doctors is not unique to PEI (Steve Bruce / CBC)
Cook published a letter to his clinic saying in July that he was retiring from his practice and moving to work for Veterans Affairs Canada.
Peterson leaves on June 24 and does not accept new meetings. An official voice message said a temporary replacement had been found for the summer months.
Admission clinics and virtual care through Maple are options for people without a family doctor.
“National Crisis”
Some services, such as cancer screening, may be available without a referral from a family doctor.
McNally said it wasn’t perfect, but not unexpected.
“This is a national crisis … There is a shortage of family doctors and practicing nurses, primary care providers across the country. So this is not unique to us and how we provide care. And ensuring patient access is really important. “
A letter published in the office of Dr. Chris Saunders said he was leaving his PEI practice with “mixed emotions.” (Steve Bruce / CBC)
The province is working to recruit and retain doctors, but Health PEI said there are still no permanent replacements for leaving doctors.
As the province moves to its new model of nursing home, where GPs are only part of a larger team of specialists who care for patients, depending on the care they need, they are unlikely to be replaced by the same the way they once would have been.
“The impact is great”
“It’s not one-on-one,” McNally said.
“Just like a doctor will not leave and someone enters this model, because we are trying to bring people together in teams. It’s not easy to just say, “This man is leaving, someone is coming.” Because we’re also moving to team-based care at the same time. “
Dr Laura O’Connor, a Queens County family doctor and medical director, said the time for three doctors to leave at the same time was unfortunate, but encouraged the islanders to “sit still”.
“The impact is great. When they are grouped together in time, it really seems like a very big change … There will be more direction in the next few months.”
Add Comment