Tom Masters

Thanks for all the encouraging replies. Now that we've finally got ourselves set up over here, we're just going to try and chill ( ) for the winter and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Hopefully more time here and experiencing an Ontario winter will make things clearer next year!

wizzard

Maybe you could try a different walk in clinic. The doctors there can refer you. I've been here for around 18 months and haven't got a family doctor and my wife hasn't had one since she was a kid. We have when need arose (thankfuly not too often) been to walk in clinics. One in Newmarket ON and the other here in Toronto and while you don't get the personal relationship you develop with a single family doctor they have all done their job. The one my wife went to in Newmarket refered her to get blood work and an xray in the same walk in clinic and she got all those things done the same week etc. The one I just went to in Toronto refered me to a more specialised doctor whom I just need to call to make an appointment and OHIP should take care of it as it's a referal from the doctor. I agree that they need to sort out the level of doctors but coming from the UK I can hardly hold the NHS up as a model health care system. All I am glad of is that the only bill I have ever received here was for perscription medication and I could claim back that on my work health insurance. I can imagine being in the US as a new immigrant and not having a good enough job to afford health insurance and pretty much being screwed.

Drew

Purley

That was a really nice helpful post - it told the truth without sounding like you are negative about Canada, as such, just that it's hard getting established here.

I think its the norm to feel as you do for the first couple of years at least. I haven't heard of too many people who come here, even if they have some family, and settle in immediately. My sister has been in Vancouver for over 30 years now and she said when she first came here she had made a pact to stay one year. She said if she hadn't done that, she would have gone home after six months or so because she hated it so much.

I agree with the poster who said that no matter how much you want to go home - you owe it to youself to stay here for at least a couple of years because most people who come here have a lot invested financially and for that reason alone you should give it a chance.

I am surprised that nobody can find a family doctor. I thought Saskatchewan was bad but I came across a Saskatchewan Health site not long ago and it had quite a list of doctors who were accepting new patients.

iaink

Its really hard to find one in Ontario, and many of those that do have doctors will lose them in the next 5 years as many doctors are approaching retirement, with no fresh blood coming in. The provincial government has introduced a bunch of new measures to try and get more family doctors in the province (mainly by paying more). Time will tell how effective that is

I'm inclined to agree that going home is not a good idea, but when I did visit the UK it certainly put to bed any romantic visions of a green and pleasant land I may have still had. Couldnt wait to get back to Canada. Some call it the $1000 cure.

Suzey

I live near London (UK) and I've heard stories of people having to wait five weeks for a doctor's appointment locally.

That's not to mention the diabolical lack of NHS dentistry for the masses these days.

I know where I'd rather be.

Suze