'It’s a ripple effect': Physician says lack of family doctors causing system to crumble
As many medical clinics close their doors for good, medical professionals around Saskatchewan are looking for ways to meet patients' needs.
The College of Family Physicians says it takes six years to train a new doctor. They also said that fewer students are choosing to study family medicine because of drawbacks, like overhead costs.
“It’s a ripple effect, and then for those family doctors who are left behind, we are just trying to see more and more patients and help with a burden and therefore our existing patients are waiting longer and longer to see us,” college president Dr. Andries Muller said.
Experts in Saskatchewan are looking at how other provinces are handling their healthcare system. In British Columbia, they announced a new payment model where doctors would be paid depending on the complexity of the appointment, including accounting for administrative costs, rather than a flat rate per visit like in Saskatchewan.
“We’ve heard folks in Saskatchewan calling for something smaller, and saying that this absolutely needs to happen to address the issues that exist in primary care in the province right now,” NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat said.
The Minister of Rural and Remote Health, Everett Hindley said the province had met to discuss primary care at the end of October.
“There were some discussions about the primary care working group that’s doing its work, and we’re waiting for some recommendations from that group and then we’ll make some decisions,” Hindley said.
Muller said there is a domino effect as problems in primary care spill into walk-in clinics and emergency rooms, causing overcrowded hospitals and cancelled surgeries.
“It just proves the point that the basis of a good healthcare system is a good primary care system, and so if the primary care system crumbles, the rest of the healthcare system crumbles.”
He said the best long-term solution was to bolster the primary care system, and that a team-based approach will save the province money.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.