Petition: Physicians provincial patient attachment registry

I am writing as a family physician and member of the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians 

(SCFP) urge the Government of Saskatchewan to establish a provincial patient attachment registry 

for residents who do not have a regular family doctor, along with a coordinated process to match 

these patients with family doctors and physician-led primary care teams who are accepting new 

patients.

Family doctors are specialists in family medicine, trained to diagnose undifferentiated illnesses 

and manage complex medical needs across all stages of life. We provide comprehensive and 

personalized care and serve as the first point of contact for most health concerns. When patients 

are attached to a family doctor, they experience better health outcomes, more coordinated care, 

earlier diagnoses, improved chronic disease management, and stronger preventative care. We are the 

backbone of Saskatchewan’s health care system.

Despite this, one in four people in Saskatchewan do not have a family doctor. Without attachment to 

a family doctor, patients are left to navigate a fragmented system on their own – leading to 

delayed diagnoses, avoidable emergency room visits, and growing dissatisfaction with our health 

care system. A coordinated, province-wide registry would help connect patients efficiently to family 

doctors based on regional needs and capacity, with particular benefit to rural and remote 

communities where access to a family doctor is crucial for reducing hospitalization and improving 

community health.

Beyond improving access, establishing a provincial patient attachment registry would offer important 

system-wide benefits. It would:

•  Reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, tests, and referrals

•  Provide reliable data to inform workforce and capacity planning across urban, rural, and remote 

communities

•  Enhance physician-led, team-based models of care by facilitating patient continuity

To move this work forward, I support the SCFP’s recommendations to:

1. Collaborate with key partners, including family physicians, community representatives,

eHealth, etc., to ensure accessibility, interoperability, and equitable inclusion

2. Invest dedicated provincial funding to the registry’s development, maintenance, evaluation, and 

ongoing user support.

A coordinated patient attachment registry is a practical and achievable step toward ensuring

that every person in Saskatchewan has access to continuous care provided by a family doctor. Thank 

you for your continued commitment to family medicine in Saskatchewan.

Sincerely,