Access to Family Doctors
In Saskatchewan, and across Canada, primary health care is in crisis. Millions of Canadians are without a family doctor, and many of those who do have a doctor still cannot access care in a timely manner. The physicians and staff of CCFP share the frustration of patients who either cannot get an appointment without a long delay, or who due to departure of their own doctor, are now left without a physician. Please see below for some answers to frequently asked questions regarding access to care:

1. My physician has left CCFP, what can I do to remain a patient at the clinic?
Ideally, the staff and physicians would love to continue to care for our long-time patients, but with the current crisis in primary care, recruiting replacements for departing doctors has been impossible. At the moment, we suggest you contact other medical offices to secure a new doctor. We will share information about any Saskatoon physicians accepting patients and will update our website as soon as CCFP has capacity to accept new patients again.

2. The wait time for appointments with my doctor is very long. What are my options to access care in a timely manner?
Again, we share your frustration, and wish we could see you more quickly. If you have urgent medical issues that cannot wait until your scheduled appointment, you could consider one of the following:

• If you booked online, there may be some earlier appointments for urgent issues available by calling to speak to reception (8:00am-12:30pm and 1:15pm-7:30pm).
• We offer a walk-in clinic Monday through Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30 on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for the walk-in opens at 5:00pm.
• The Health Line 8-1-1 offers 24-hour telephone advice from a medical professional.
• We have a physician available by phone at 306-244-2016 for after-hours advice for urgent concerns.
• Pharmacists can extend most prescriptions, except for controlled medications.
• As always, if you think you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1, or go directly to one of the hospital emergency rooms.

3. What can I do to help improve the situation in primary care in Saskatchewan?
If you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment, please call or email info@ccfp.ca to cancel it. This allows another patient to access care and decreases wait times for everyone. Each year, our clinic loses the equivalent of one full year's worth of physician appointment time due to thousands of "no-shows".

Change to the health care system will need government action. You can call or write to your MLA about your concerns about access to medical care.

• To find your MLA’s name and contact information, use Find My Constituency
• The Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians letter-writing tool, encourages a team approach to primary care