Montreal-area couple tries for weeks to get doctor’s appointment, waits nearly two months

A couple was forced to wait nearly two months for a doctor's appointment so the 77-year-old Montreal man could return to work.

At 77 years old, Brian Williams is still working. In January, he hurt his shoulder while on the job and was ordered to be off work for six weeks.

He started physiotherapy and was recovering, but before he could return to work, his boss needed a doctor’s note.

“Knowing he was off for about six weeks, knowing that he would have to have a doctor’s note, it’s like start now. And hopefully within two or three weeks you’d get an appointment,” said Karen Williams, Brian’s wife.

Brian and his wife started looking for a doctor’s appointment in early February.

Neither has a family doctor.

“Since about the first week of February, we have called constantly every second day trying to get an appointment someplace,” Karen said. “When you call, there’s nothing available, not even within 70 kilometres of our house.”

The couple kept on trying. They went on ClicSanté and repeatedly called 811.

“One day, we sat 24 hours and just kept with two telephones, a cell phone and the house phone, re-dialing,” Karen said.

“I can’t understand that they always say there’s nothing available, there’s nothing available. There’s got to be something somewhere,” Brian said.

Earlier this week, an appointment opened up, and Brian got a doctor’s note saying he could return to work after nearly two months of waiting.

“On the other hand, they’re wondering why the emergency rooms are so overloaded,” Brian said. “You have no choice. If you can’t get an appointment, what do you do?”