The patients of Dr. Steve Scales will now join more than 24,000 Islanders already on the PEI Patient Registry, the province’s waiting list for a family doctor. In a letter sent to his patients last week, Scales said that “after months of consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave my family practice effective July 19, 2022… At this time, there is no permanent physician or nurse to take care of you.” CBC was unable to reach Scales for comment on why he is leaving his practice. Dr. Steve Scales ran his practice out of Sherwood Family Medical Center in Charlottetown. (Steve Bruce/CBC) Sasha Clow, one of Scales’ former patients, received the letter on Friday. For the first time in her life she is left without a family doctor. “I felt uncomfortable because I have a baby,” Clow said. “Going to our family doctor was difficult enough. Now we have to go to a clinic and we have to sit in a clinic two hours before the clinic even opens, just to get a prescription for our eight-month-old son . So you sit in waiting rooms more than I think you should sit in a waiting room.”
More doctors are likely to leave
In a statement to CBC, Health PEI said islanders can expect more doctors to follow suit. “Health PEI is aware that more physicians have discussed downsizing or leaving their practice. It is too early to confirm as these physicians have not yet confirmed any plans. Health PEI is experiencing the same issues with physician retention like the rest of Canada after many years of heavy workloads for family doctors and two years of pandemic stress.” Sasha Clough, who is without a family doctor for the first time in her life, is most worried about how she will access care for her eight-month-old son. (Steve Bruce/CBC) While news of the other three doctors leaving their practice broke a month ago, some of their patients are just receiving official letters from Health PEI now confirming their departures and offering advice on where to go for various medical needs . “Letters to patients from doctors leaving practices were delayed for a variety of reasons, including unavailability of addresses for all individuals, printing and mailing. Most letters have now been mailed,” the agency said in its statement. “PII Health apologizes for the delays.” Health PEI added that access to free virtual care will be provided to all patients who have recently lost their family doctor. “Updates on the process of adding people to Maple, how records are managed, and information on the future of these practices will be provided … in the coming days.” Clow believes the province needs to act quickly. “I feel the government needs to pick up the pace and address the issues at hand,” he said.
