Saanich family physician can’t give his practice away

Dr. Chris Pengilly spent 36 years building his family practice in Saanich.

Now he is giving it away, for free. But there is not much interest.

When Pengilly moved to Victoria in 1978, 41 other physicians bid for his job.

He applied, paid $15,000 and was lucky to get it.

“Now, I literally can’t give the practice away,” says Pengilly.

He was hoping to sell his business for at least $40,000 before retiring, but increasingly it looks like he may have to pay out of his pocket to entice anyone to buy it.

Pengilly says his colleague is advertising his own practice and is offering $15,000 in moving expenses.

He hopes it does not come down to that.

“This is what I call my inverse golden handshake,” says Pengilly.

He says increasingly, more general practitioners prefer to work at hospitals because of the more exciting nature of work, better hours and less paperwork.

He says there has to be a fundamental change in the system, where doctors do not have to be businessmen to have a successful family practice.

“Running the business side of it is not fun.”

Pengilly says that is the way of the future, but in the meantime, family practice is suffering.

“The bottom line is nobody is interested,” he says. “They are throwing a lot of money at the system, but it is not well directed.”