Doctors?
 

We are considering moving to Ontario. We have 2 young children. How difficult is it to find a doctor who will take you on. In the meantime how good are the facilities while you ar waiting to get on a Doctor's list?

Re: Doctors?
 

See my post on the Kitchener, Ontario thread.

Re: Doctors?
 

we have been here since september and on 2 waiting lists as that is all who where offering lists and still no joy.

Re: Doctors?
 

So what happens when you need to see a doctor?

Re: Doctors?
 

Call an ambulance, no?

Re: Doctors?
 

I live in Waterloo and managed to get a family doctor in Kitchener (a contact through HR at work) but you have to wait about 3 weeks for an appointment so if I need to see a doctor quickly I go to one of the many walk in clinics dotted around. I believe there is a doc in cambridge taking patients but that's the only one I've heard of in the year and a half I've been here.

Fi

Re: Doctors?
 

Go to a walk-in clinic.

I had a GP in Oakville. I didn't like him and it took days to get an appointment (real good if you've got a throat infection and it feels like you're gargling with razor blades). I quickly learned to use the GP only for stuff that wasn't urgent and might require a referral.

Otherwise, I went to walk-ins (often open late and on weekends). I never waited more than 30 minutes. Even three hours waiting would be better than three days.

Re: Doctors?
 

you go to a walk in clinic or AE (Emerg as its known here). In many ways you are better off than seeing a GP as you often end up seeing a specialist. We went when MOH had Bells Palsy, Seen and out within 4 hours, he saw an Emerg doctor and a neurologist and came out armed with antivirals and steroids.

It cost $350 including the meds and the insurance paid it out within the week (we arent on OHIP)

Re: Doctors?
 

Search for a doctor by visiting www.cpso.on.ca

Re: Doctors?
 

There are alternatives to GPs, and we have not had an issue getting the treatments we require outside of family doctor referals.

Its not great sometimes waiting with the unwashed masses, but it works.

Getting a GP is a lottery in small town canada, some people land one immediatly, others never do.

Re: Doctors?
 

Yup - we got lucky here in Guelph. OH took one morning to phone around as many local GP's (and other confusing professionals who go by 'Doctor') as possible listed in the phone book and got one who was taking people on. She arranged to go speak to them the next day and we were signed up.

On the flip side, friends who have been here 4 years only got a GP in the last year.

You takes your chances......

Re: Doctors?
 

Yes, a big problem in Ontario as far as I am aware. I have one (Very Lucky) but do know many people who don't. Have just had bypass surgery (Excellent care at the KGH Kingston) and was shocked to learn of the number of bypass patients who did not have a GP. Scary stuff. Big shortage of nurses at the hospital too, particularly cornary care etc where specialist staff required, many wards kept going by nurses working overtime on top of a 12 hour shift.

Would humbly suggest that 'McGuilty & Co' set health care as a priority in Ontario rather than simply paying it little more than 'lip service' to pacify the masses. Get your finger out!

Rant over! :frown:

Mac

Re: Doctors?
 

Why would that be shocking? I've never had a GP and can't really see why I would want one.

Re: Doctors?
 

Mr B and I aren't registered with a GP, I didn't see any need. In fact in the absence of any chronic conditions, I'd prefer to go to a walk-in.

I wanted to get the kid his VZV and pneumococcus vaccines so I called the Manitoba Health find-a-doc service and they got him signed up with a paed in minutes. There were at least 5 names of paeds accepting patients she gave me, I appreciate it's Manitoba, not Ontario, but maybe it's easier to find a paed than a family doctor and you might want to look at that route?

Re: Doctors?
 

Paeds are in very short supply in my area. For the longest time there were only two serving the entire area and the local hospital, and one of them was a complete idiot. Neither was taking on patients. The OMA listed a couple more locally, but one was an alergist, and the other a child psychiatrist..not much help/

The shortage of specialist away from the major cities is even more acute than the shortage of GPs in many specialties. But for all that, waiting periods for consults are still not unreasonable.

Re: Doctors?
 

We have been here since July and are on four doctors list waiting to be accepted by one, nothing yet!

There is however walk in clinics that you can use if you don't have a family doctor. Ours is open 10am to 10pm and you can just walk in. Never had to use them yet, but the people I have spoken to about it seem to think they offer very good service.

I don't think you would ever be without medical services, it just not as clear cut as in the UK, where pretty much everyone has a family doctor.

As long as you know where you can go within your area if you ever need them, then you should be ok.

Re: Doctors?
 

HA-HA. Just make sure you don't fall asleep in the ambulance, "tired member"

Re: Doctors?
 

I wasn't planning to drive the ambulance. Seriously, I don't understand the concern with having a doctor; the walk in clinic is a perfectly viable model for healthcare delivery and is, arguably, better for the patient than having a GP. Why do you particularly want to have a doctor?

Re: Doctors?
 

I agree, suppose you get stuck with a doctor you dont like - or one who is incompetent??

Re: Doctors?
 

Then you ditch them for the urgent care / telehealth line / emerg department / health unit (all of whom you tell you dont have a family doctor) until you manage to find one who is not an arse.

Personal experience. Dont ask.

However at the walk in clinic you have no way of knowing if the doc is any good, and more importantly they have no record of any of your history. OK if you have the flu, not so good if you have the early minor symptoms of some condition your dad died of. At least with a family doctor its the devil you know and you have the option to bypass them if there is a problem.

Re: Doctors?
 

The worst might be a doctor you do like who seems competent but isn't.

What I'd like is to find something like the vet we use. It's a group place so there's no guarantee of seeing the same vet each time but they all seem knowledgable and they're quite willing to disagree with each other. Many heads better than one and all that. The nearest equivalent for people is the walk in clinic.

Re: Doctors?
 

Last summer we heard that there is a big shortage of doctors in Ontario. Reading all the posts seems to bear this out.

To see our doctor we have to wait about 5-6 days for an appointment, unless we call at 8 a.m. and say we want an emergency appointment to get the same day. Now, I have'nt seen him in a few years so I don't know if that is still the case, I'll find out in a few months when I phone for an appt.

We are not that thrilled with him but have to stick with it since getting signed up with another one is impossible in the Cobourg area.

Two years ago, 2 new doctors moved to the area and advertised in the local paper they would be taking on new patients and you had to apply by a certain date. They had over a 1000 people apply, most of them from Oshawa, Whitby and Pickering areas who had moved east and could not get a doctor, so when they needed to go, they had to drive down and see the one they had.

As I far as I know, to see a Specialist when referred by your doctor you can wait 6-8 weeks or more for an appointment. Hmm!

How does that compare to UK?

Re: Doctors?
 

I have heard, although I don't know if it's true, that vets are qualified to operate on any animal, including humans. I've also heard that it's harder to qualify as a vet than as a doctor. In principle, this makes vets sound like a safe bet. I have, however, seen some Herriott stuff on TV. I don't think I want my tonsils examined quite like that. Or even remotely like that.

Re: Doctors?
 

I used to work with a radiologist who said most are happier to have an incompetent doctor who they have faith in than a good doctor they dont have faith in.

I have often thought it might be better to go to the vets. Especially for the compliments you get. A vet says nice things about their patient, such as how pretty she is, what a lovely coat, what a handsome animal. They dont mind if halfway through the examination you jump off the table and have a good old nose around the office. They dont mind if you cant swallow your meds and they give you a cuddle before you leave.

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once they set up the electronic health record here that will be a thing of the past. trouble is canada is way behind on eth EHR so it will be a few more years yet

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Certainly true about the degree of difficulty in qualifying as a vet due to that fact that they have to know the physiology of many creatures as opposed to just one - us.

I wouldn't like to rely on my vet to examine me though. I've seen where that thermometer goes...and how often. :ohmy:

Re: Doctors?
 

Hearndern or something like that? Hes a liability. Better of going to the urgent care. Seriously.

FWIW there is a doctor in Brighton taking patients whos OK. Its not that far to drive.

Re: Doctors?
 

[QUOTE=Pamela 1;4443353]Last summer we heard that there is a big shortage of doctors in Ontario. Reading all the posts seems to bear this out.

Reading of the shortages of doctors in Ontario, does anyone know if BC seems to have the same problem?

Re: Doctors?
 

The walk-in clinics sound a good option. Here in Wales we have a large Health Centre where we can nearly always get an appointment the same day though not necessary with the same doctor. Many people have private health care via a work, 'Perk.' This way you can see a specialist within a week. Under the NHS the waiting list could easily be months.