P.E.I. facing shortage of physiotherapists as some shift to primary care clinics

Health P.E.I.'s efforts to recruit physiotherapists to work at new primary care clinics is creating challenges for other facilities that rely on them.

The association representing Island physiotherapists says there are too few of them working in the province to meet the growing demand. 

"It's great that we've had the creation of all these new jobs. We advocated for them. We really do think that physio needs to be in primary care," said Sheila MacMurdo, president of the P.E.I. Physiotherapy Association. 

"But unfortunately, we've had the creation of all these new jobs, but no new bodies to fill them. So if a physio fills an empty position, we're usually robbing from Peter to pay Paul… They're leaving behind a vacant position where they once worked."

MacMurdo says seven physiotherapists are now working at Health P.E.I.'s new patient medical homes — primary care clinics where doctors and nurses work collaboratively with other specialized staff, including physiotherapists, dietitians, and occupational therapists. 

The P.E.I. government's aim is to have 30 medical homes running by the end of this year. 

MacMurdo said that puts other facilities already contending with physio shortages — like hospitals, long-term care homes, and private clinics — at risk of losing more staff. 

Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital currently has six vacant physio positions.

"Some of our hospital facilities have 12-month-plus waits to get into see a physio, and that's not acceptable," said MacMurdo.

"Nobody needs physio in one month, or two months, or six months down the road. They need physio now, and there's great evidence that the sooner you get your treatment, the better the prognosis."

Physiotherapist Blythe Martin co-owns Collective Health, a private clinic in Summerside. 

Martin said as P.E.I.'s population has grown and aged, she's seen the demand for physiotherapy increase. But it's proven to be tough to keep up.  

"It's definitely been more pronounced in the last five years, and especially since the pandemic," she said. "If you talked to any clinic owner, they could use another physio.