[saturn_656]

Tonsil removal requires a specialist? FFS it's one of the most common procedures.

[N_Fiddledog]

I notice this kind of 'bait and switch' scam happening in walk-in clinics now.

They'll dangle a good doctor out there as a family doctor, to get you to start using their clinic, then they'll stop taking appointments for him forcing you to just use the walk-in. I guess this new payment plan is why they do that.

[bootlegga]

Brenda Brenda:

$1:

it makes far more sense to have centres of excellence and send non-routine treatments to them than having a specialist in small town treating 5 people per month.

Sure, but how far do you expect patients to travel?
The nearest city with more than 100,000 people is Kelowna, a 4 hours drive. We are the regional center here. You'd think the southern interior does not stretch from Hope to Pincher Creek and all the way up to Kamloops.

Well, I don't know how it works in BC, but Edmonton-based specialists routinely travel to northern Alberta (or use telehealth) to diagnose/treat patients in sparsely populated areas in the northern part of the province. I would think that BC Health would do something similar too in less densely populated regions of BC.

Again, this goes to the fact that you live in a rural area.

Due to their low density, it isn't efficient or economical to base specialists and build multiple ORs in the hospitals located there for a relative handful of operations per month/year.

As I said above, I sympathize, but you can't realistically expect every service that is available in Vancouver or Edmonton or Calgary in a town of 1700 people - it's simply not feasible.

[Brenda]

Like I said, the hospital covers a 30,000 people area. The hospital offers chemo therapy, but no radiation. There's a mammography machine, but not a digital one.

The hospital is one of the largest employers. I think the school district is the largest.

What I was saying is that MY town has 4 family doctors for 1700 people. Not 4 family doctors for the whole region.

[Brenda]

Btw, the OR's aren't closed because there are no patients. They are closed because somehow, there is no money to pay OR nurses (or any other nurse) anything than a casual wage. Would you work on a casual basis as a nurse, when you can be on a full time contract and actually buy a house anywhere else? They work full time, but just don't get the contract.

[Public_Domain]

[housewife]

Brenda Brenda:

Btw, the OR's aren't closed because there are no patients. They are closed because somehow, there is no money to pay OR nurses (or any other nurse) anything than a casual wage. Would you work on a casual basis as a nurse, when you can be on a full time contract and actually buy a house anywhere else? They work full time, but just don't get the contract.

They are playing this game in Ontario too. They close hospitals or reduce beds, you can drive to the next town. Open and close walk-ins so fast you hardly notice them. Now they are doing the 9-5 crap... I no longer have a GP but hey I have 2 specialists. Of course they only do their stuff so I'm down 2 tests not sure how I will get them. I doubt I can order them myself

[BartSimpson]

herbie herbie:

Goes hand in hand with all the wait times we've been programmed to get pissed off at when lately everyone in these parts has been shocked when the call comes "There's an opening for your surgery in four days, can you be there?"
Even know a couple with asshole bosses who said NO - you didn't give enough notice to take time off. one quit and two found slots open two or three weeks later. My spouse turned down the first chance for hers, wouldn't even think of asking the Boss without a couple weeks notice.
Good working fodder her. Worrying more about the Boss and her scheduling difficulties than her own health.

If you've played Grand Theft Auto Five you'll enjoy listening to the 'Los Santos Lottery' ads on the radio where the one guy says that if he wins the lottery he's goi9ng to hire a gang of thugs to a** rape his boss.

Makes total sense how some people would feel that way.

[Regina]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

Tonsil removal requires a specialist? FFS it's one of the most common procedures.

Yes.......as well it should.

[Regina]

Surgeons/Specialists work much harder than the normal GPs by far. They see plenty of patients and are only limited by the OR time they have available to them. They see far more office patients in a week than they do surgery on which is where the bottle neck is.
GPs fall into two categories. Those with family practices and those who hang their shingle wherever they can get free rent, such as a hospital and walk in clinic. Those Family GPs who are somewhat responsible to their patients work far more than the ones who are looking for a free meal. The ones who work in these corner walk in clinics (usually attached to a pharmacy) just bang out the numbers to make money. They write a prescription, tell you to follow up with your family doctor and boot you out the door. These..........I have litter respect for and are part of the problem with shortages.

[BartSimpson]

On the upside of things you folks have until January 1, 2014 to come here and see a specialist if you want. After that Obama's going to turn you around and march you right back to Canada for your treatment.

[Regina]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

On the upside of things you folks have until January 1, 2014 to come here and see a specialist if you want. After that Obama's going to turn you around and march you right back to Canada for your treatment.

Nope there will be plenty of openings after the sky falls. A very under-utilized system that can handle it. Cash always goes to the front of the line.