Ontario's medical doctors are again speaking out on the urgency of the shortage of physicians.
The Ontario Medical Association put out a news release Monday warning that the health care crisis in Ontario is only going to get worse if the shortage of family doctors is not addressed immediately.
The OMA said the shortage of family physicians has hit every region of the province, including Sudbury, which is facing a shortage of 33 doctors, said the OMA release.
"Far too many Ontarians, a staggering 2.3 million people, are already without a family doctor and that number is expected to nearly double in only two years," said the release.
"According to HealthForceOntario, which posts job openings for physicians, there are more than 2,500 physicians needed in the province," the release continued.
HealthForceOntario is a marketing and recruiting agency that is a branch of Ontario Health.
Statistics provided to the OMA showed that Toronto was the Ontario city with the highest need for family doctors with 305 job openings. Ottawa was next, showing a shortage of 171 family doctors. In Northern Ontario, Thunder Bay had job postings for 50 new family doctors, compared to 33 for Sudbury.
OMA president Dr. Andrew Park said the shortage will affect Ontario residents severely. He said thousands of patients in Northern Ontario are struggling without a family doctor and this is getting worse all across the province.
“We can’t just sit back and watch this situation get worse. We need to act now so people in Ontario can get care when they need it," said Park.
His comments came in response to an announcement last week in Sault Ste. Marie where the Group Health Centre there announced that 10,000 patients would lose access to their family doctor as of May 31, due to a physician shortage and recruitment challenges. Another 6,000 patients may be at risk if trends continue, said the OMA.
Park said it was another example of the crisis.
"What’s happening in Sault Ste. Marie is devastating. This is a preview of what’s to come across Ontario if we don’t take action now," said Park.
One of the key solutions put forth by the OMA is the idea of team-based medicine. That's where a team of health-care workers can address the needs of a patient, while at the same time having all the administrative paperwork looked after without putting that burden on the family doctor.
Ontario’s doctors, represented by the OMA, have also warned that family doctors are increasingly considering leaving their practices.
The OMA said underfunding in OHIP revenue, complicated with rising inflation pressures have made family practice unsustainable. Working conditions that have nothing to do with medicine and result in family doctors spending 40 per cent of their work week on completing forms and trying to navigate patients through a system that is disconnected and fragmented, said the OMA release.
An OMA survey showed that 40 per cent of physicians are thinking about retiring in the next five years.
“We have heard from our members that the current situation for family physicians and our specialists is not sustainable,” said OMA CEO Kimberly Moran.
“The OMA wants to work with government to ensure there is a future for health care in Ontario.”
Park said too many Ontario residents are seeing health issues get worse because they cannot get treatment in a timely manner.
“The result of the doctor shortage is people left with health-care concerns that need attention. Heart-breaking things can happen when patients don’t have primary care,” said Park.
“Our goal is to make sure everyone in Ontario has access to a family doctor. People are paying for health care through their taxes and they deserve a doctor. Let’s make sure that happens.”
