Doctor shortage demands action, says MPP Arnott
Wellington—Halton Hills – Too many families lack access to a family doctor, and it's time to take action to finally address the problem. That's the message from Wellington—Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott, who today called on the government to make the issue a top priority in the new legislative session.
“This problem came up many times during the recent election campaign,” said Mr. Arnott. “The health of our communities depends on every citizen having access to a family doctor, and it's unfortunate the government has yet to demonstrate an effective long-term strategy to attract and retain doctors in Ontario.”
Today there are 50 percent fewer family doctors and general practitioners accepting new patients than in 2003. Mr. Arnott is concerned by this figure, and he is pushing for several constructive proposals to begin reversing this trend:
Instituting a comprehensive human resources plan for health care, as advocated by former Minister of Health Elizabeth Witmer;
- Improving accessibility to the credentialing system to permit foreign-trained doctors to help address the problem;
- Bringing more health care professionals into family health teams and piloting nurse-led clinics;
- Expanding the capacity of our medical schools and deferring loan payments for medical residents to keep them in Ontario;
- Providing flexible alternatives to retirement to retain our most experienced physicians;
- Acting to retain the almost 30 percent of new medical school graduates who leave Ontario within two years of completing their training.
Mr. Arnott is conducting further research on the issue in Wellington—Halton Hills.
“I want to keep these ideas in the spotlight while, at the same time, looking to experts and health professionals across Ontario for their advice on how this problem can be solved,” said Mr. Arnott.
|
