By Rosalind Russell – The Ontario College of Family Physicians is urging the province to address the growing crisis in family medicine.
Officials say more than 32,000 people in the Greater Sudbury, Manitoulin Island, Parry Sound area don’t have a family doctor – and forecasts predict that number to grow to 62,900 by 2026.
Several factors are contributing to the shortage, according to officials, including challenges in retaining family doctors. The College adds many physicians report they are being driven from the profession due to system-wide issues including overwhelming administrative paperwork, lack of team supports and compensation that has not kept pace with inflation.
Retirement, a lack of medical graduates entering family medicine and the expected population growth are other factors driving the shortage.
The Ontario College of Family Physicians expects there to be around 4.4 million Ontarians without a family doctor by 2026.
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