Doctors speaking

Canadian seniors struggle to find family doctors amid physicians shortage, some seeking private support

August 14, 2022

The Globe and Mail

More Canadian seniors are finding themselves without a family doctor amid a shortage of primary-care physicians, compelling some older adults to seek private support as advocates highlight serious health consequences. Josh Greggain, Doctors of BC’s president-elect, said family doctors in the province have the ability to decide who they will accept as patients. “This may be based on a number of factors – such as how close they are to capacity, the nature of their existing panel (some may have very high number of complex care patients), and/or to protect their own health and well-being if they are carrying a large patient panel and are struggling to keep up with the workload,” he said in a statement.