Doctors of BC is deeply concerned about the growing instability of neurological services in the Interior and the potential impact on patients who need timely access to specialized care.
Interior Health has faced a shortage of neurologists for years. The situation reached a tipping point in September when regional neurologists were told they would be required to provide on-call coverage across the entire health authority, rather than within their own communities. Physicians raised concerns that the proposed model was not viable or sustainable, and some have since resigned.
Doctors of BC does not support health authorities compelling physicians to provide services under working conditions they believe are unsafe or unsustainable.
The loss of these neurologists raises serious concerns about access to care and patient safety, including the possibility that some patients requiring neurological care will need to be transferred significant distances to receive treatment. It also increases the workload pressures on the remaining neurologists providing on-call care.
Front-line physicians are best positioned to understand the realities and pressures facing their patients and local health care systems. Their expertise and concerns need to be heard and meaningfully considered when decisions affecting patient care are made.
Doctors of BC has been working with the affected neurologists and is calling on Interior Health to work directly with physicians on a sustainable path forward. This must include a clear workforce plan, meaningful physician involvement in decisions about service delivery, and immediate and long-term recruitment and retention efforts to stabilize neurological care in the region.
