Waterloo region’s doctor shortage highlighted as Ontarians struggle to find a physician

A day aimed at celebrating Ontario’s doctors is being met with concern as experts say there is an immediate need to address the provincial doctor shortage as communities continue to grow.

Monday marked Doctors' Day ceremonies across the province, including a flag-raising in Kitchener.

Doctors' Day was celebrated across communities in Ontario, including the raising of a flag in the City of Kitchener. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News Kitchener)

While the provincial shortage of doctors does not end with family doctors, healthcare experts say solving it can relieve some of the pressures impacting the system.

“The problem with finding doctors here in our community and across the province is incredible,” said Dr. David Schieck, a family physician in Guelph.

Dr. Schieck is also a chair of the local Ontario Medical Association (OMA) district.

He says there are over 2 million Ontarians right now without a family doctor, and this figure is set to grow in the coming years.

“With projections out over the next five years that this will hit 2.5 and up to 3 million Ontarians without a family doctor,” he said.

Waterloo region is one of the places feeling the pressures of recruitment and retention.

At least 76 doctors are needed in Kitchener and surrounding areas, based on Health Force Ontario's numbers which posts job openings for all types of doctors.

The OMA doesn't have data on how many area patients are without a family physician.

“Like, in Kitchener-Waterloo where there is perhaps 30 per cent of the practices in this community that are supported by team-based care. And we see much higher unattached patient rates in this community here,” Dr. Schieck said.

In terms of what's behind the shortage, Dr. Schieck said medical students aren't choosing to go into the family practice largely because of how challenging it can be.

Meanwhile, Kitchener's mayor says it will take a community effort to address the need.

“We’re fortunate in this area because we have those universities and the college,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said. “It really makes a big difference locally, and I think that’s going to really help us not only meet the needs for us going forward but for other parts of Ontario as well.”

The shortage goes beyond family physicians.

“We have a shortfall of 140 nurses right here in the Region of Waterloo,” said Jim Stewart, chair of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition.

With the region continuing to grow, advocates say something needs to happen fast.

[In] 1962, for instance, we had 20 more funded beds servicing a population of 172,000 people, and now in Waterloo region, we’re down 20 beds. But our population is 630,000. It’s quadruple,” Stewart said.

At the end of 2022, the population estimate for Waterloo region was 647,540.

Based on this estimate, over the past 15 years, the region's population has grown an average of 1.41 per cent per year, according to the Region of Waterloo.