The Regina Urgent Care Centre (UCC) continues to deal with reduced hours and staffing shortages, an issue once again being highlighted by the Saskatchewan NDP. “[It] was supposed to be Scott Moe’s big solution to the health care crisis,” NDP MLA Jared Clarke said at a news conference Thursday. “This urgent care center was promised to be open 24/7. This government quietly walked back that promise. Multiple times it has been forced to reduce its hours or even close completely, particularly on busy long weekends or on holidays.” Public service announcements from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) about reduced hours for the UCC have been consistent. Clarke says the province is failing to address the issues at the core of the disruptions, as the government plans to build more elsewhere in Saskatchewan. “This is a government that wants to build a second urgent care centre here in Regina and they can’t even staff this one,” he said. When first announced, the provincial government did say the centres were intended to offer healthcare 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During an interview with CTV News in December 2025, Premier Scott Moe said that model seemed out of reach as the health sector faced recruiting issues. Urgent care centre shutdowns Regular hours of operations are from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but on nearly a dozen occasions already in 2026, the centre has closed early or entirely. Since the start of this year, there have been 11 weekends the SHA has announced the UCC will have reduced hours. It also reduced hours on Tuesday Feb. 24. On Sunday April 5, the centre was closed for the entire day, the only time the UCC was closed for a full day. According to notices from the SHA, all hour reductions or closures were due to physician availability. “Saskatchewan, like all provinces, is facing a national shortage of physicians,” a spokesperson for the SHA said in a statement. “The SHA will continue to work with its partners to recruit and retain doctors including through targeted initiatives such as U.S. recruitment campaigns and work through the provincial Health Human Resources Action Plan, an important tool assisting the SHA with its recruitment efforts.” CTV News also reached out to the Ministry of Health. However, a response was not immediately available. The NDP says concerns carry over for the government’s future plans. “The Sask Party and the SHA is fully aware of the shortcomings of the urgent care centre,” Clarke added. “Yet, the Sask. Party government continues to champion urgent care centres as the solution for Saskatchewan people and the crisis we’re seeing in health care.” The Regina Urgent Care Centre operated throughout the May long weekend. However, the opposition says it will continue to monitor future potential disruptions as Regina enters the summer vacation season. Anyone experiencing a medical emergency while the UCC is closed is advised to call 911 or go to the emergency department at Regina General Hospital or Pasqua Hospital. Those needing non-emergency medical care are asked to call HealthLine 811, visit a walk-in clinic or contact their pharmacy.
