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?

See my post on the Kitchener, Ontario thread.

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

So what happens when you need to see a doctor?

Call an ambulance, no?

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

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.

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)

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

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.

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......

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!

Mac

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

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?

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.