More than 62,000 northeastern Ontarians could be without a family doctor by 2026

The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) say nearly 32,000 people in and around Sudbury, Manitoulin and Parry Sound do not have a family doctor. That number is expected to double by 2026.

"There's an exodus of physicians from family medicine," said Dave Courtemanche, a member of the board of the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the executive director of the City of Lakes Family Health Team in Sudbury.

"We have a whole bunch of doctors that are retiring or dying or leaving the practices, and we don't have enough younger medical students that are choosing family medicine for their practice," he said.  

According to an OCFP survey, 65 per cent of family doctors said they plan to leave or change their practice in the next five years, indicating a downward trend in doctors choosing family medicine.

This is due to system-wide issues including an overwhelming administrative burden, lack of team supports and compensation that has not kept pace with inflation.   

As a result, OCFP is calling for "urgent supports" from the provincial government to better help family doctors and patients.  

"There's an overwhelming administrative burden on family physicians," Courtemanche explained, noting that "on average, [doctors] spend 19 hours a week doing paperwork instead of seeing patients."

To address the issue, the college has urged the province to support more efficient practices, such as eliminating employer mandated sick notes and modernizing outdated referral systems.   

"We need to invest more in team based practices," Courtemanche emphasized. 

He highlighted the effectiveness of a "team of health care professionals" working together with a family doctor to provide appropriate patient care within one facility.

Courtemanche points to data indicating nearly 75 per cent of patients do not have access to a family doctor who is supported by a team. 

He added, "young family physicians want to be part of teams like a family health team"

In addition, doctors are advocating for increased compensation for their services, saying OHIP payments fail to keeping up with inflation and clinic costs. 

"It's getting more and more difficult for a family physicians to keep a practice open when they have to pay staff and overhead and everything else."