It is not yet clear what will happen to all of Dr.’s patients. Chris Saunders, of Dr. Ray Cook and Dr. Jocelyn Peterson, who all announced that they were preparing their stethoscopes. But Health PEI said it would no doubt add it to its list of patients already has about 23,000 names. “It’s difficult,” said lead doctor Dr. Kathryn McNally. “It is difficult to be a patient who does not have access to primary care, whether it is a doctor or a nurse. All these patients will receive information from their GP.” Saunders published a letter saying that after 15 years, he will leave his office on July 1. He did not say why he was leaving or where he was going and Health PEI did not give details. In an interview with CBC News: Compass in 2019, Saunders, then president of the PEI Medical Society, warned of an imminent doctor outing. Dr. Katherine McNally, chief physician at Health PEI, says lack of doctors is not unique to PEI (Steve Bruce / CBC) Cook posted a letter to his clinic saying in July that he was retiring from his practice and moving to work with Veterans Affairs Canada. Peterson leaves on June 24 and does not make any new appointments. An office voicemail states that a temporary replacement has been found for the summer months. Clinic and virtual care through Maple are options for people without a family doctor.
“National crisis”
Some services, such as cancer screening, are accessible without a referral from a family doctor. McNally said it is not ideal, but not unexpected. “This is a national crisis … There is a shortage of family doctors and nurses, primary care providers across the country. Therefore, this is not unique to us and how we provide care. And it is very important to ensure that patients have access . “ A letter published in the office of Dr. Kris Saunders says he is leaving the PEI clinic with “mixed feelings”. (Steve Bruce / CBC) The county is working to recruit and retain doctors, but Health PEI said there are no permanent replacements for outgoing doctors. As the county shifts to its new medical home model, where GPs are simply part of a larger team of specialists who care for patients, depending on the care they need, they are unlikely to be replaced the way they once were.
“The impact is great”
“It’s not one-on-one,” McNally said. “Like a doctor will not leave and someone will join this model, because we are trying to bring people into groups. It is not easy to just say ‘This person is leaving, someone is coming’. Because at the same time we are changing into group care.” Dr Laura O’Connor, Queens County Family Physician and Medical Director for Primary Care, said the timing of the three doctors’ departure was unfortunate, but encouraged the islanders to “sit tight”. “The impact is huge. When they come together over time, it looks like a very big change … Over the next several months, there will be more direction.”
