The primary health care shortage in Ottawa
What the numbers say about access to primary care
In September 2021 we published a list of doctors and clinics around Stittsville on my web site after hearing from so many residents about their difficulties finding a primary care provider. It has consistently been either the #1 or #2 most visited page on our web site each month ever since.
We get emails and phone calls every week from people of all ages and backgrounds looking for a doctor. Many desperate parents share stories with me about waiting hours and hours at walk-in clinics – if they can even find one that’s open to the public. Many of them are new to Canada.
This is a huge problem in our city. Although primary care is a provincial responsibility, we’re in such a dire situation right now that every level of government needs to be working on solutions.
This week at our Board of Health meeting we discussed a report from Ottawa Public Health that estimates there are at least 100,000-150,000 people in Ottawa without access to primary care1. That estimate is based on data from 2020, and it’s almost certain that the number is higher now with many family doctors retiring or cutting back on hours.
The report says the problem is more acute for people living in low-income areas, high deprivation areas, areas with a high proportion of visible minorities or those who are recent immigrants to Ontario.
There were several stories and reports about this problem in the news this week. Four worth reading or listening to if you’re interested in this topic:
Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP): “Ensuring Every Ontarian
Has Access to a Family Physician”CBC Ottawa: Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre (Interview with Dr. Farouq Samim at Somerset West Community Health Centre that tries to find primary care for refugees and newcomers, and helps them navigate the health care system. They used to be able to connect 75% of clients to ongoing primary care, but since the pandemic their success rate has gone almost to zero.)
CBC: More than 2 million Ontarians now without a family doctor: report
CBC: Phones ringing off the hook at medical clinic taking new patients “…the crowds began to form at Southbank Medical on Friday soon after the sign was posted in the waiting and patient exam rooms. A line of about 50 people had wrapped around the building before the centre opened Monday morning…”
On Monday I’ll be participating in a roundtable discussion at city hall hosted by Mayor Sutcliffe to explore ways that we can start addressing barriers to primary care access in Ottawa. We’ve invited several local doctors and experts and I’m looking forward to what we hear.
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Sort-of related to this is our ongoing work to bring a Health Hub to Stittsville. I finally had the opportunity to tour the Orléans Health Hub (now the Aline-Chrétien Health Hub) last week thanks to Dr. Bernard Leduc and Martine Potvin from Hôpital Montfort.
It’s a partnership between the Montfort, Bruyère, the Youth Services Bureau, CHEO, the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre, ParaMed, Ottawa Public Health, Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services of Ottawa and Champlain Home and Community Support Services. What an inspiring place and an incredible health resource for residents in the east end.
We should probably start using “primary care” instead of “family doctor” when we’re talking about this issue. There’s a range of health professionals who can help provide primary care, including nurse practitioners, mental health professionals, dieticians, therapists, etc.