Wookie Wayne

Hey everyone

Anybody have any advice on how to actually get access to a GP in Toronto? For the record I am not female nor am I expecting a baby. Other than that it seems impossible.

I've used http://www.cpso.on.ca/ (to locate available doctors) without success and seem unable to join a waiting list of any description. Am I supposed to take my ingrowing toenail down to A&E (sorry ER over here)? I'm sure I'd be loved and put to the top of the waiting list for that little emergency

On a serious note I am concerned that I'm paying into a system I have no access too (just like back home eh?) and I really want a doctor.

Help from all of you guys would be most welcome and recently arrived doctors feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks all!

Wayne

dbd33

I've never bothered getting a GP and would take something like the toenail to a walk in clinic.

My daughter thinks having a GP is a good idea and so walked in to the East End Community Health Care facility at Queen and Coxwell and got one. It didn't seem to be any great bother.

Steve_P

Similar problems in Alberta our GP of 33 years is retiring at end of this year and we're having difficulty finding a new one.

Not this helps find a GP but do they not have walk in clinics in Ontario.

dbd33

They do. When I took up with my domestic partner she complained that I had a large and ugly growth on my face. I had not bothered with it but, since she was having a superficial moment, I wandered into the clinic at Danforth and Woodbine and asked when they could chop it off. "Not now" they said, "come back this afternoon". I did and they did. I would expect similar service for the toe nail. If you go to the one at Coxwell and Gerrard and speak nicely to them they'll even fail to notice the lack of an OHIP card. Seems a fine arrangement to me, I don't know how a GP would be better.

Souvenir

I remember you having a growth, I just can't remember where it was. It's not particularly important; just bugging me.

<tidies sock drawer again>

Steve_P

I certainly hope it was someplace reasonably obvious otherwise I'm going to have start becoming a little suspicious of you two regardless of your comments regarding significant others.

dbd33

Picture's a big buggered but this is the scar.

Notiaink...honest

You still have access, you just dont have access to the same doctor every time. If you did have a doctor who turned out to be an asshole (and it does happen), then using the urgent care clinics can seem like a benefit.

Anyway I digress. Keep an eye out in the local media for any new family doctors arriving in the area and go register on the waiting list. Utilise the local health unit for info on doctors taking patients, talk to friends and aquantainces, often the jungle tellegraph and word of mouth are a good "in", and finally our town hall keeps a waiting list open too, so its worth contacting your local municipality, often they are tasked with coordinating doctor recruitment. It can be done Good Luck!

In my pre GP days I took my ingrown toenail to the walk in clinic, who filled out a Px for me to take to the local foot guy (podiatrists) so I could claim on my insurance, and he took me in and did a lovely bilateral avulsion. No need to go near the ER. If you dont have any insurance to claim on, skip the doctor and go straight to a podiatrist. Probably be about $500 now though. Worth every penny though.

Novocastrian

What part of Toronto are you looking? This is about the only place in Canada where it's supposed to be easy to find a GP. All the doctors prefer to stay in the city/GTA rather than move out to the sticks. Less work for more money here.

And Steve_P, of course we have walk-in clinics in Ontario.

Wookie Wayne

Thank you for your advice all. I'm at younge and lawrence and my nearest doctors are at Sunnybrook hospital. Soccer mum and suv hell around here (nobody walks it seems), nothing actually on younge street in this area but have now found clinics at davisville and st clair west.

Wayne

Souvenir

Was that taken during your Surrealist phase?

I fancy that it's your head. That would make sense. I don't recall looking at many other bits of your flesh.

Steve_P

Well exxxxxcccccuuuuuussssse me.

Did I really have to state the obvious?

dbd33

It's my retrospectively cubist phase. And my chin.

Souvenir

I remember now.........

<slips into Austin Powers mode>

Howard1944

Call a GP and ask if they know of anyone taking on new Patients, a Walk In Centre may also know of someone.

Part of the problem, and I know I will get flack, is that many GP's are now female and many of the younger ones need time off for family or will not take on the same case load as a male because of Family Commitments.