Should city hall spend $240K to help recruit family doctors to London?

A request for $240,000 from city hall to attract more family doctors to London has early support from the chair of council’s community and protective services committee.

But Ward 12 Coun. Elizabeth Peloza also says she’s concerned about cities using property tax dollars to compete with each because of a shortage in a provincial responsibility.

So she’s hoping to add some zoning rules to the cash to at least help under-serviced areas, such as London’s east end, without too much “poaching” from other places.

“I’m glad to see that some sort of action is being taken. I’ve certainly heard from residents they cannot find a primary care provider for them and their family,” said Peloza, whose committee will vote on whether to endorse the funding, with full city council then getting the final call.

“Some places are already putting money into recruitment. It leaves us competing against each other and using tax dollars to potentially poach physicians from each other.”

City staff is recommending politicians approve a request from the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team for $80,000 a year for three years to recruit and retain doctors.

More than 65,000 London-area residents lack access to a family doctor for routine checkups, diagnoses and patient referrals, according to the Ontario College of Family Physicians.

The situation is worse in east London, which has 3.25 family doctors for every 10,000 residents, The rest of London has 8.4 family doctors for every 10,000 residents, says a city staff report heading to politicians next week.

Family doctors aren’t accepting new patients, and new provincial guidelines expect doctors to set up in groups of six or more.

“This new requirement paints a grim picture in London as only 32% of Family Physicians (FPs) have access to Team Based Care,” the staff report says.

The impact goes beyond the 65,000 people with a doctor. The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) reports that companies seek out places with good health care services for employees, the staff report says.

“The economic well-being of Middlesex London is intricately linked with the health of its people and family physicians are one of the cornerstones of the health care system,” the staff report says. “There are currently no consistent processes or resources to support proactive recruitment of family medicine residents to encourage them to set up practices in London.”

But most other municipalities in Ontario have recruitment programs, most funded partially or entirely by local funding, according to the report.

Sarnia-Lambton spends $100,000 a year, Kingston spends more than $250,000 a year, Hamilton spends $180,000 a year and Cambridge spends $100,000 a year.

The Middlesex London Ontario Health Team is hoping to spend $200,000 a year to hire a recruitment coordinator and to pay for outreach events and initiatives, with funding from the city, Middlesex County, the LEDC, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, London Health Sciences Center , St. Joseph’s Health Care and Middlesex Hospital Alliance.

The entire issue troubles her, Peloza said,

“How did we get here? Health care is not a municipal jurisdiction,” she said. “I don’t think its a long term solution to poach other municipalities for primary health care providers.”

London is lucky that he can recruit at least some doctors from his own medical school without poaching from other municipalities, she said.

London can further help, without additional costs, by altering or enhancing zoning rules to allow family doctor team facilities, Peloza said.

“Is there way to help and be partners in that, to identify and fast-track key areas, especially in the east end of London which is underserviced?” she asked.

She’s asked staff for advice and is considering bringing the idea forward at next week’s meeting, Peloza said.

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