Less than 8% of Amherstburg residents lack a family doctor

The Town of Amherstburg is making progress in its efforts to cut down on physician waitlists, town council heard Monday night.

Council received a presentation from the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team (WEOHT), Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), and Amherstburg Family Health Team.

“When we look at other municipalities in Essex County, the rate of attachment in Amherstburg is actually leading the pack,” said Joyce Zuk, Executive Director of the WEOHT.

The WEOHT is submitting an application for provincial primary care expansion funding, Zuk said, which would aid Amherstburg, Harrow and Lakeshore.

Last year, similar funding was approved in Leamington, Zuk said.

“It’s not in terms of dollars as much as it is in terms of the number of patients that we’re looking to actually attach, meaning we’re going to reduce the number of individuals in Essex County that are not attached to a primary care provider.

Residents wait, on average, about two weeks in Amherstburg to be connected to a primary care practitioner, council heard.

Amherstburg currently has 15 primary care practitioners across its clinics and healthcare centres in the town.

Data from the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team indicate that 7.9 per cent of the town’s population does not have a primary care practitioner.

In comparison, Ontario and Windsor-Essex County have unattachment rates of 12.7 per cent and 11.8 per cent, respectively.

Monday’s presentation came at the request of members of council after concerns from residents.

Multiple members of council asked about how the municipality can contribute to physician recruitment efforts.

“We need to continue to invest and have the wonderful communities that physicians and nurse practitioners want to live and practice in,” Zuk said.

The Ford Government wants to see all Ontarians attached to a primary care provider by 2029.

The WEOHT expects to receive a response on the provincial funding request in the spring.