Ottawa short 171 family doctors, OMA warns the province needs to ‘act now’

Ottawa is facing a family doctor shortage that needs immediate government action, according to the organization that represents the province’s physicians.

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) said that Ottawa needs at least 171 more family doctors to meet current demands. Their estimation came from HealthForceOntario, which posts job openings for physicians.

“The implications of people not being able to access primary care are severe,” said OMA President Dr. Andrew Park.

The problem isn’t isolated to the nation’s capital. OMA said 2.3 million Ontarians are without a family doctor and that number could double over the next two years.

“The crisis we have seen unfold in Sault Ste. Marie, leaving thousands of people without a family doctor, will replicate itself across the province,” Park said. “We can’t just sit back and watch this situation get worse.”

Around 10,000 patients in Sault Ste. Marie could lose access to their family doctors by May 11 because of shortages and recruitment challenges, according to Group Health Centre.

Despite the shortage, Ministry of Health spokesperson Hannah Jensen said the Ford government has added over 10,400 new physicians to the province since 2018, which includes a 10 per cent increase in family doctors.

She added that the Practice Ready Ontario Program is expected to add 50 new physicians province-wide this year. According to HealthForceOntario, there are over 2,500 openings across Ontario.

“We understand that a key part of our Your Health plan is to ensure all Ontarians who want access to primary care are able to,” said OMH deputy director of communications Hanna Jensen. “That is why we are investing tens of millions of dollars to launch the largest expansion of new interdisciplinary primary care teams.

“Further details around other successful applicants will be shared very soon.”

Doctors looking to retire, leave practice early, says OMA

To make matters worse, Park said doctors in the province are increasingly considering leaving their practices. A recent OMA survey showed that 40 per cent of family doctors are thinking about retiring over the next five years.

Park said OHIP underfunding mixed with rising inflation pressures have created a situation where family practices are ‘unsustainable’. Doctors are also spending upwards of 40 per cent of their work week doing paperwork and other administrative duties instead of seeing patients, he said.

“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,” Park said. “People are paying for health care through their taxes and they deserve a doctor.”

The OMA previously laid out a plan on what the government could do to help fix the problem. It outlines three primary concerns:

• Fixing the crisis in primary care to ensure everyone has access to a family doctor
• Addressing the growing burden of unnecessary administration
• Increasing community capacity and tackling hospital overcrowding

OMA represents Ontario’s over 43,000 physicians, medical students and retired physicians.