File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Thompson Region Family Obstetrics

Staffing pressures once again threaten closure of Kamloops area’s largest obstetrical clinic

Sep 10, 2025 | 11:17 AM

KAMLOOPS — UPDATE (5:00 p.m.): Interior Health spoke to CFJC‘s Michael Reeve Wednesday afternoon.

“It feels like an overwhelming problem and I think that all the care providers — and certainly all my colleagues both administratively and medically — we feel the pressures and we want to see a solution to this and are definitely working hard to do that right now,” said Dr. Peter Bosma, executive medical director of IH North. “It’s a difficult one but we are committed to making sure everybody gets the care they need.”

Interior Health issued a news release on Wednesday afternoon, advising patients to contact their primary care physician or utilize other services such as the First Steps Early Pregnancy Triage Clinic. First Steps, however, is only able to provide care up to 30 weeks, potentially leaving the final 10 weeks for expecting mothers without care. Bosma was asked directly about Interior Health’s plan for the 10-week gap in care.

“And it’s a fair question, working on providing solid answers to those ones,” responded Bosma. “But in the meantime, if you are in that scenario we are asking you to come to the hospital.”

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“Really just want to let our patients know that if there are any questions or concerns in the moment, if you have a care provider call them, otherwise if you are concerned about imminent labour or something like that, please come to the hospital and we will assess you appropriately,” said Bosma.

UPDATE (2:35 p.m.): In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 10), Interior Health says it has “started immediate actions” to respond to TRFO’s decision to stop accepting new referrals.

IH lists the following options for those seeking maternity care:

• Those in labour are urged to go to Royal Inland Hospital (RIH)
• Family doctors or nurse practitioners
• Health from the Start provincial program (1-855-868-7710)
• For those without family doctors or nurse practitioners, access First Steps Early Pregnancy Clinic, which provides care up to 30 weeks

The health authority says it is “committed to providing timely updates” to those affected by TRFO’s announcement.

EARLIER: For the second time in less than three years, the region’s largest obstetrics clinic has stopped accepting new referrals.

In a letter to Kamloops-and-area healthcare providers obtained by CFJC Today, the doctors who run the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics (TRFO) clinic in Royal Inland Hospital say the move is effective immediately.

In the letter dated September 3, TRFO says its doctors will care for its current patient load over the next six months until six weeks after delivery. Meanwhile, they will “focus all other efforts on providing acute on-call obstetrical coverage on labour and delivery.”

TRFO typically handles the prenatal care for more than half of the expectant families in the Kamloops area.

In February 2023, principals Dr. Shaun Davis and Dr. Nagu Atmuri announced the clinic would not accept new patients with due dates after July 31 of that year. The clinic said staffing pressures had made the continued operation of the clinic impossible.

Four months later, the clinic reversed the decision after lining up locums to cover the shortages.

Now, the shortage of physicians practicing obstetrics has once again come into play.

“More recently, the volume of unattached patients and acuity has increased as there are even fewer providers offering on-call coverage,” states the Sept. 3 letter. “The sheer volume and lack of support for high-risk patients has resulted in TRFO physicians frequently working beyond the normal scope of family practice obstetrics.”

“For any possibility of a future for TRFO, we urgently need an influx of new physicians and the establishment of a stable, supportive OBGYN group capable of providing continuous coverage and managing high-risk obstetrical patients.”

This is a developing story. CFJC Today has reached out to TRFO and Interior Health for further comment.