Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Maternity Care

Locums and supports secured, Thompson Region Family Obstetrics clinic to remain open

Jun 8, 2023 | 5:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson Region Family Obstetrics clinic provided good news to expectant mothers in the Kamloops region Thursday (June 8).

Co-principal Dr. Shaun Davis confirmed to CFJC Today that the clinic will remain open.

Davis says TRFO will now be able to accept mothers with due dates up to the end of the year and, hopefully, beyond.

“We have locums committed to get us through to [the end of December],” said Davis. “Obviously, we hope by that point that those locums or other people will have helped us extend the schedule forward. We typically build our schedule six months out, so that’s just as far as we have got. I don’t want to be pessimistic and say, ‘Only December’ — it’s just that’s all we can promise.”

The news comes after the clinic had previously announced that it would be shutting down operations this summer due to a lack of staff.

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The clinic handles more than half of the expectant mothers in the Kamloops area — and Davis says that should not change.

“I have no reason to see that we would be running at any lower capacity,” he said. “We don’t totally know if the numbers in Kamloops have risen yet. We are expecting a rise over the next couple of years but we have way to try to address that. We’ve seen the new maternity clinic from Interior Health will help support that. We do believe the volume should be very similar.”

Davis credits the turnaround to supports put in place by Interior Health and the Ministry of Health — as well as longer term commitments from locums working at the clinic.

“The reality is, there’s more and more pressure coming from patients who are worried about what they’re going to be doing for their maternity care. There’s definitely been involvement from the media that’s been very positive, that has probably made a lot of our connections with locums who have decided to come here and support us. Definitely the support we’re getting from Interior Health as well as the Ministry of Health.”

The future of TRFO and similar clinics throughout the province has been raised repeatedly in the B.C. Legislature by local opposition MLAs, and Health Minister Adrian Dix has committed to addressing the systemic issues that have led to the dire situation. It appears that will come in the form of a new compensation model not unlike the one announced for family physicians last fall.

“There is definitely a plan in place. I’m not privy to the details about something coming through from the Family Practice Service Committee in terms of helping to stabilize maternity care,” said Davis. “This is similar to the Longitudinal Family Physician payment but a different method of paying doctors doing obstetrical care. I’m optimistic that it’s going to be something favourable and, basically, allow people to continue to do what I think is a really awesome part of medicine.”

Earlier this week, Interior Health announced the opening of a new midwifery clinic at Royal Inland Hospital. Davis sees that move as another important step that will help bring stability to maternity care and offer another option for expectant parents.