By Dylana Milobar

Cold & flu season not expected to help Kamloops doctor shortage and clinic closure

Nov 30, 2018 | 2:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — Health care centres around Kamloops are bracing for extra patients coming through their doors, with cold and flu season upon us.

Combined with many people in the local area still without a family doctor, the upcoming closure of the Summit Medical Clinic on Dec. 15 is not expected to help the situation. 

At the Kamloops Urgent Care Clinic, Dr. Justin Kopp says they’re expecting the flu making its way through residents’ immune systems will mean the usual uptick in visits.

“And with the Summit (Medical) Clinic closing, I don’t know the number of patients that they see per day, but we’re anticipating probably at least an increase of 30 to 40 patients per day,” he explains.

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While he understands that service closures happen, Kopp says there needs to be improved coordination among the ambulatory care clinics in town to figure out what sort of interventions or solutions can take place when those closures inevitably occur.

That being said, doctors at the Summit Medical Clinic are showing interest in moving elsewhere.

“We have one physician who provided care at Summit who has asked to come and provide some care here (Kamloops Urgent Care Clinic),” Kopp says.

And according to Interior Health, one physician from Summit Medical Clinic has already joined the roster of 20 doctors taking shifts at the Urgent Primary Care Centre at Royal Inland Hospital. 

Dr. Kopp says that doctor is one of many serving the walk-in clinics, which have become the main primary care source for those without a family doctor.

“Majority of patients that we see I would say do not have a family physician. Particularly those who see us with ongoing complex needs,” he says. “We do see a number of patients from the university, and then we see the occasional patient who can’t get in to see their family physicians in a timely manner.”

When the clinic finds itself at capacity, they are able to send two to three patients over to the Urgent Primary Care Centre at the hospital, or to the Emergency Department.

Health Services Director at RIH, Richard Jewitt, says with flu season making for a busy time of year, it’s important people know what their options are for health care.

“So they can use obviously, walk-in clinics, urgent care clinics, the new clinic here on the site at the hospital, primary care pharmacists, nurse pracitioners, and they can look to get wait-listed for a nurse practitioner, or a primary care phsyician if they haven’t got one.”

Its too early to say what the impact will be on the hospital’s emergency department, however dealing with extra patients is nothing new for RIH.

“It would be great if we had more coverage, but we’ve been dealing with this for some time, so the hospital is well prepared,” Jewitt explains. 

“This is always going to be a busy time for us in the hospital and the health system as a whole.”