'Everyone's frustrated': impending closure of Lethbridge clinic highlights city's family doctor shortage

Eleven doctors at that clinic are leaving, or have already left. Ten are staying in the province,and one is leaving the country altogether.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — According to Primary Care Networks, there are currently no doctors in Lethbridge that are currently taking on new patients.

For people living in the city like Amber Kellar and her family, not having access to a family physician is a frustrating and stressful situation that's left her with no other option than to go to the Chinook Regional Hospital's emergency room for simple things like filling a prescription.

"Everyone needs a doctor and everyone's frustrated about going to the hospital for obviously non-emergency things," Kellar told CTV News.

"My whole family, we were all seeing the same family doctor, but now my parents, my siblings, they're all out a family doctor."

Kellar added that she's had her family on a waitlist for three different physicians for at least four months with no luck.

Her family is just one of the many examples of families left searching for proper care in Lethbridge.

The impending closure of the Bigelow Fowler Clinic South on November 30^th points to a large issue that's been plaguing the city.

Eleven doctors at that clinic are leaving, or have already left. 10 are staying in the province,and one is leaving the country altogether.

For former patients at the clinic like Jim Kristensen, being left in the lurch with no where to turn is a worrisome scenario.

"I was unable to find another doctor who could fill my needs. Currently in Lethbridge, it's my understanding that there aren't any," Kristensen tells CTV News.

"The level of uncertainty, it frustrates a lot of people. Of course, everybody wants to know that when they need to see their doctor, they can. And right now, there's just so many people that have no where to go."

In a statement sent to CTV News, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf said the concerns of his constituents is not lost on him.

“Helping people find a family doctor has been a top priority for my office and me for quite a while now. In that pursuit, we have coordinated a meeting with the minister of health and a few doctors here in Lethbridge to understand the situation for doctors better, right here, right now," he said.

"I am hopeful that this conversation will be instrumental in rebuilding a collaborative relationship to maximize the efforts and services of doctors working in Lethbridge now and create a positive environment to attract and train more doctors to work here in the future.”

In addition to the statement, Neudorf sent along the following update on what's being done to address the current situation:

·         AHS is now interviewing nine new family physicians for positions that they sponsor in Lethbridge, so we’re hopeful that we’ll see new physicians in Lethbridge soon.

·         In the longer term, AHS and the Chinook PCN are developing a broad recruitment strategy and communication materials, in collaboration with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, the City of Lethbridge and Economic Development Lethbridge.

·         As part of that strategy, the PCN medical director and executive director are working with AHS South Zone medical leadership to improve recruitment and retention of family physicians in the Lethbridge area.

·         AHS directly recruits to 'sponsored' positions for physicians where there are specific identified needs, and they are currently interviewing applicants for AHS-sponsored positions for new Lethbridge-based family practitioners. Depending on the outcome, they hope to see new family physicians working in the community soon.

·         In addition, Alberta Health has given the Chinook PCN approval to recruit a new Nurse Practitioner, which we hope will complement the services of local family physicians and help improve access

In the meantime, locals without a family doctor are worried about the future of the city's healthcare.

Some residents say they've even resorted to driving upwards of an hour out of town to get a new family doctor in surrounding communities like Raymond, Milk River, and Cardston.

But for others, driving that far out of town just isn't feasible.

"Just financially with all that gas, we can't regularly travel that far," said Kellar.

CTV News reached out to the Chinook Primary Care Network for a total number of doctors who have left the city in the past year, and the Ministry of Health for comment, but did not receive a response from either.