Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover announced today that a new provincial Patient Registry has been established to assist Islanders having difficulty finding a family doctor.
Islanders seeking a family physician may call the registry toll-free at 1 800 241 6970 to register for assistance. Charlottetown callers should call 368 6526.
To be included in the registry, callers will be asked to provide general information, and will have the opportunity to provide further detail about their specific medical needs. Staff will then attempt to introduce them to an available family physician who has consented to add more patients to their practice.
Minister Dover advised that until now there has been no coordinated service to assist people to find a doctor when they move to PEI or when their own doctor leaves their practice, and being left to their own resources places some people in a difficult situation.
"We hope the Registry will provide more coordinated support to people, and at the same time assist our family physicians with more orderly introduction of new patients into their practices," said the Minister.
Provincial Medical Director Dr. Don Ling advised that the registry will enable people seeking a family doctor to make one call to the registry, rather than having to call several physician offices on a continuous basis. "This will be more convenient for patients, and at the same time it will reduce the number of people calling doctor's offices or inquiring in person at reception desks, which can be time consuming and frustrating," he said.
Dr. Ling said the new service is a coordination service only, for people who do not have a family doctor, and it is not intended for people wishing to change their current physician.
Minister Dover said the registry evolved from a recommendation to government earlier this year by the Citizen's Coalition for Access to Health Care. The Coalition asked that government partner registered Islanders with doctors as space becomes available to improve accessibility to health care services.
"It was an excellent recommendation, and we are very pleased now to advise that it has been implemented," said the Minister.
Advertisements have been placed in all Island newspapers this week to inform people about the registry and how to use it.