by Dr. Ambrose Marsh, Shoreline Medical Society Board Member, and Karen Morgan, Shoreline Medical Society Interim Executive Director –
Long ago, a small group of people realized that the doctors here were all of the same generation and would retire from family practice in the next 10 years. This was before any crisis was seen coming, and it took a lot of work before their concerns were taken seriously.
Fast forward to 2022. The small group is larger and has created a charity – Shoreline Medical Society. Because of Shoreline Medical, almost 11,000 people have found a family doctor in the last five years. But if you don’t have a family doctor, none of this really matters, does it?
We understand a little of your situation: after heart surgery, Ambrose, who didn’t have a family doctor, saw first-hand the challenges of getting follow-up care (but he had some friends in the business, and is aware his situation isn’t comparable to everyone’s). We hope we can provide some support.
SO, if you don’t have a doctor:
1. Sign up on the provincial waitlist for our community. Here’s the link: https:// www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry/saanich-peninsula. If you were on Shoreline’s waitlist, you should have been contacted to transfer to this list, and maintained your spot. If you are unsure, sign up, or call 811 to check. Shoreline staff and physicians felt that moving to the provincial waitlist would result in a fairer process.
2. At Shoreline, we are aware of the lack of access to longitudinal primary care and with 10,000 people without a family doctor, we know it’s a challenge to get care through our Walk-in Clinic. If you have a minor ailment, please call the nurse hotline (811) first. If you need a prescription renewal, please contact the Shoreline walk-in clinic by phone (in-person appointments are are only available on a select basis). When calling, please understand that Shoreline is the LAST walk-in clinic on the Peninsula, and we don’t have adequate resources to manage all of the community’s needs. The day’s available appointments are often taken within five minutes of opening, and our answering machine does not take messages, because of a shortage of staff to return them.
3. If you feel that your ailment is something serious, please go to SPH’s Emergency Room. It’s busy, but the best place for you.
4. If you are healthy, please take care of yourself! This is always good advice, but particularly now.
Things are challenging now, but we ask that you please try to be courteous to staff. This IS a crisis, and everyone at Shoreline is working very hard to help.
Shoreline Medical Society was created for, and is governed by community members. We want everyone in this community to have a family doctor, and we’re working as hard (and fast!) as we can to make this possible. If you have a question or concern, please email news@seasidemagazine.ca. The editor will forward your message on to us, and we’ll respond as promptly as possible.
