Thunder Bay Regional to lose six emergency doctors

The emergency department atThunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is losing six of its doctors over the coming months.

Dr. David Wood, the ER's chief and medical lead, told CBC News most of the departing physicians come from elsewhere in Canada and with a doctor shortage across the country, hospitals closer to their hometowns are recruiting.

"It's an opportunity for them to return home at a time when they can be assured of... a position at a hospital where it's convenient for them to be around family,"he said.

Wood said the emergency departmentis already short-staffed. In the past year, two doctors retired and another left.

Someannual turnoveris normal, he said, but added that it was aparticularly gruelling winter for emergency doctors and nurses at Thunder Bay Regional. The hospitalwasoften in gridlock and struggled with delaysadmitting patients from theER.Wood said workload can be a factorin physicians' decisions to leave.

Asking ministry for help

The good news, he said, is thatthreeemergency doctors have justfinished their residencytraining at the hospital andare staying on asstaff.

While that will help, Wood said the ER has a lot more recruiting to do.

"If we can get another six to 10 physicians,we'd be quite ecstatic."

In the meantime, Wood said his teamis determined not to let the staffing shortage affect patient wait times.

"We've decided, as a group of emergency physicians, to increase the percentage of shifts that we're all going to be working," he said.

"We take the role we've got seriously ...and I don't think that we can expect anyone else to solve our problems if we're not actually going to take a step towards that ourselves."

Wood said the hospital is asking Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for relief, including sending more doctors toThunder Bay on temporary placements.

It is also asking for more support for physician recruitment.