A new walk-in clinic in Peterborough’s north end is the latest step to help residents in need of a family doctor but experts caution experts it’s only a short-term solution.
Tucked inside the grocery outlet of the Walmart on Chemong Road, the Jack Nathan Health Medical Centre is providing alternative access to a doctor or nurse practitioner.
The Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT), which aims to find primary care for residents in the city and Peterborough County, says the clinic is just one of a handful in the city.
“Well, I think it’s been fairly recent with this Walmart clinic opening, I don’t think it’s been growing,” said Duff Sprague, CEO of the PFHT. “It probably will in the future.”
Sprague says in some cases, working in the walk-in clinic setup prevents family physicians from starting a family practice. Operating through telehealth appointments can also leave more gaps compared with a primary care provider.
“They develop a long-term relationship with you and a history, and it’s just better than episodic care, where you have a health issue and you walk into a walk-in clinic,” he said
In the spring, health officials estimated that about 13,000 people in the area are in need of a family doctor. A recruiter hired by the city told council that the area needs at least 20 new doctors as the city and county’s population continues to grow.
In Ontario, 15 per cent of the population is without a family doctor, according to research released by Inspire Primary Health Care in 2022.
Among issues are that many doctors aren’t taking on additional patients, and nearly half of the area’s doctors are age 55 or older and some retirements are expected soon.
Karen Lynch, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development’s manager of physician recruitment and health-care advancement, is part of a team with the city, county and Peterborough Regional Health Centre trying to draw more physicians to the region.
“The number of physicians that are in school, in training or looking to take on new practices are far and few between right now,” said Lynch, “So it’s hard to entice them to come to Peterborough when everyone is looking for physicians.”
She says they are often combating lack of interest and retirements and the competition with other communities is challenging. Work is underway to determine best practices for recruiting and retaining but it won’t happen overnight, she says.
“No matter what, tomorrow we cannot all of a sudden create ‘X’ number of new physicians to place around,” she said.
So while stakeholders try to solve the primary care shortage, walk-in clinics are likely preparing for greater demand.
— with files from Robert Lothian/Global News Peterborough
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