In 2017, 91原创 lost nine practicing doctors to retirement, while 14 new physicians began working here.
That sounds like a good ratio, but the situation for 91原创 residents without a doctor has not actually improved, said Ellen Peterson, executive director of the 91原创 Division of Family Practice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not great,鈥� she said of the availability of doctors. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 currently have any physicians taking on new patients.鈥�
Despite adding a total of 14 general practitioners and nurse preactitioners, that doesn鈥檛 mean that 91原创 has added more clinical hours, said Peterson.
Some new doctors are working part time, some in multiple clinics or doing work in maternity wards. Some are working at two clinics in two communities 鈥� with only part of their time for 91原创 patients.
It can take two or three new physicians to do the work of one retiring doctor, Peterson said, noting that many retiring doctors were working 60 hours a week or more.
A net increase in doctors doesn鈥檛 mean an increase in experience or patient service level, Peterson said.
The situation in 91原创 hasn鈥檛 changed since the 91原创 Advance .
To find a new doctor, patients have to call around to various offices, but they鈥檙e mostly hearing no.
The problem is there just aren鈥檛 enough doctors arriving to make up the shortfall as baby boomer doctors retire.
鈥淓very community in the province is pretty much in this situation,鈥� Peterson said.
91原创鈥檚 Division of Family Practice is working to bring in as many new doctors as it can through recruitment. Having young doctors do part of their training in 91原创 is encouraged, as some will want to stay and join a practice or set up their own.
鈥�91原创鈥檚 physician community is quite strong, and quite a good teaching community,鈥� Peterson said.
Meawhile, the burden falls on walk-in clinics and 91原创 Memorial Hospital鈥檚 emergency room to deal with people who fall ill without a family doctor.
Peterson has some tips for patients who don鈥檛 have a doctor:
鈥� Using to find out wait times and which clinics are open can help cut down time spent waiting to see a doctor
鈥� Visit the same clinic you鈥檝e visited before, as they will have your previous patient records
鈥� If unsure whether you should go see a doctor, call 8-1-1 to reach HealthLink BC to speak to a nurse or pharmacist
鈥� If you do have a family doctor, try to make an appointment there first before going to a clinic
On the upside, several newly graduated doctors may be working at clinics and practices in 91原创 starting later this summer. Peterson is hoping they can soon begin taking patients.
Limits on doctor visits
Some patients may have arrived at a clinic in the afternoon only to find a closed sign on the door, saying the doctors are no longer seeing patients.
Although there is no cap on how many patients a doctor may see, there is a cap on how many the province will pay them to see.
Doctors can bill full price to the province under the per-patient billing scheme for the first 50 patients they see each day. After that, they can bill 50 per cent of that rate for the next 15 patients. After that, they won鈥檛 get paid by the province.
Because most patient visits are so short, doctors can easily see 50 patients and then shut down for the day before reaching closing time at many clinics.
If a doctor worked for seven hours and saw exactly 50 patients, they would be able to spend an average 8.4 minutes on each patient, including time for paperwork.
