Departing physicians, ER closures concern Prince Rupert residents

A recent emergency room closure and rumours of as many as eight physicians relocating or retiring has created serious concern for the Prince Rupert community. 

Northern Health has confirmed that an unspecified number of physicians will either leave Prince Rupert, B.C., or retire in the near future, furthering fears in a community that is already short of doctors. 

However, the health authority also confirmed there will be three new physicians coming to the city before the end of 2024. 

A spokesperson for Northern Health said they did not have the exact number of physicians currently practicing in Prince Rupert, but directed CBC News to a College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia's registry link, which shows there are 31 doctors registered in the northwestern B.C. city. 

"Northern Health is currently aware of or anticipating both primary care provider departures and arrivals in the coming months, and we continue to recruit to current vacancies," the spokesperson wrote in an email to CBC News.

"We cannot comment on the specific plans of independent primary care providers in the community, but physicians do have an obligation to notify their patients directly if they are closing, moving or retiring from their practice."

The spokesperson added that the health authority is "continually working to recruit physicians to the community, in a challenging and competitive recruitment environment. We are pleased to note that we are expecting at least three new physician arrivals in Prince Rupert in 2024, and recruitment efforts are ongoing." 

A March 11 city council meeting was the third straight session in which health care was a central theme, with increasing urgency due to recent events. 

Mayor Herb Pond said he will be in contact with provincial Health Minister Adrian Dix over the growing health-care concerns in the community. 

"I will convey to him personally that every stop has to be pulled out," he said. 

Pond likened the shortage of health-care professionals to Prince Rupert's water pipes crisis, saying it would be futile to upgrade the water pipes without also addressing the city's health-care needs — particularly as it hosts the nation's third-largest port. 

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice also raised these challenges at the B.C. Legislative Assembly on March 11. Rice said Canada's aging population and the shortage of health-care workers has put immense pressure on the province's health-care system. 

"It is no secret that we are currently facing a health human resources crisis," she said. 

Rice said she understood the growing concern Prince Rupert residents have due to physician departures and the March 9 ER closure.

But she pointed to the province's strategies to ameliorate B.C.'s dire health-care situation — such as extra incentives for health-care staff, the opening of a new medical school in Surrey, B.C., and a streamlined process for certifying internationally trained nurses and doctors. 

"Here in Prince Rupert I understand people are rightfully concerned when they hear their family physician is leaving. However, I also want to note that more doctors are coming," Rice said. 

CBC News has reached out to the provincial health ministry for comment on how it's looking to address the shortage of doctors in the city.  

Coun. Nick Adey acknowledged that the Ministry of Health and Northern Health are working on the North's staffing struggles, but said the municipality needs to offer as much support as it possibly can. 

"We're not inventing a brand new wheel but what we are suggesting is that there may be a way to lend some weight to it by involving other stakeholders," Adey said. 

A shortage of health-care workers will severely impact all facets of Prince Rupert life, according to Pond, who called the efforts to recruit and retain "mission critical" for the city, First Nations and local industry. 

Prince Rupert's remote location makes its health-care problems more urgent, according to Coun. Barry Cunningham. The next nearest hospital is in Terrace, a nearly two-hour drive away on an unpredictable highway. 

"What is unique to Prince Rupert is our isolation to another hospital. If our ER is closed … if you have a heart attack or a serious industrial accident, you're two hours away from the next ER," Cunningham said. 

Emergency room closures have been a growing concern in numerous communities across the Northern Health region. 

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