More than 7,000 people in Elgin County are without a family doctor, new data suggests

New data from INSPIRE Primary Health Care shows there are 2.2 million Ontarians currently without a family doctor.

The data collected from 2022 demonstrates that the number of patients without a primary care provider has grown, compared to 1.8 million people reported in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“We receive calls every single day, we have patients walking into our office and we have patients asking on behalf of their family and friends if we can take them every single day and we have to say no,” said Dr. Kellie Scott, a family physician in St. Thomas, Ont.

In St Thomas, Scott is taking care of 1,500 patients. In her group practice they see nearly 5,000 people, some of whom don’t live in the area but still use their previous doctor since they are unable to find a new one, she explained.

In southwestern Ontario, there are 7,000 people in Elgin County without a family doctor, but researchers believe that number could be underestimated, because there may be people who have not signed up to receive a family doctor in the area.

“It's concerning because if you don’t have a family physician you may be seeking medical information from unreliable sources, you may miss screening like cancer which may be undetected or chronic diseases may be diagnosed late,” she said.

The latest data from INSPIRE shows that many of those without access to a family physician are low-income earners, have mental health conditions, or people with diabetes who need to be seen by a doctor regularly.

“On top of the current shortage, many family doctors are approaching retirement. It is critical that we take steps to support family doctors in practice,” said Dr. Mekalai Kumanan, president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP).

“Supporting family doctors in practice will allow them to focus on the high-quality care they provide to their patients,” said Kumanan. “This can be accomplished by expanding team-based care and minimizing the administrative tasks that family doctors currently face.”

THE OCFP believes multiple steps need to be taken to solve the shortage. The college suggested family doctors take on more patients but it would require hiring team members that can assist them.

"We can see that in Elgin, and across Ontario, people are suffering from inequitable access to family doctors and this government has the ability to change the course of healthcare for millions of Ontarians,” said Kimberly Moran, CEO, OCFP. 

She added, “The recent government announcement to invest in 18 new teams is a step in the right direction, and it’s clear that we need multiple solutions if we are going to make lasting and meaningful change.”