Help us to urge the Government of Saskatchewan to establish a provincial patient attachment registry for residents who do not have a regular family doctor, please sign our petition below.
Urgent Need for a Provincial Patient Attachment Registry in Saskatchewan
I am writing to you today as a resident of Saskatchewan to express my growing concern and frustration with the difficulty patients face in finding a family doctor in our province. The lack of access to consistent primary care is a critical issue impacting families and the overall health of our community, and I urge the Government of Saskatchewan to take immediate action.
Family doctors are the cornerstone of a strong healthcare system. They provide comprehensive, personalized care, acting as the first point of contact for most health concerns and playing a vital role in managing complex medical needs across the lifespan. Families benefit immensely from having a dedicated family doctor. The benefits are invaluable and should be available to everyone.
However, too many people in and across Saskatchewan are struggling to find a family doctor, often waiting years without success. This lack of access puts their health and well-being at risk, and it jeopardizes the health of our thriving community. It’s unacceptable that in a province like ours, basic primary care is so difficult to secure.
The implementation of a coordinated, province-wide patient attachment registry is a practical and necessary step to address this healthcare crisis. This registry would efficiently connect residents like myself with family doctors based on regional needs and available capacity. This is particularly crucial for rural and remote communities, where access to a family doctor is essential for reducing hospitalizations and improving community health outcomes.
A provincial patient attachment registry would:
•Significantly reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, duplicate tests, and avoidablespecialist referrals by providing a clear path to primary care.
•Provide reliable data to inform workforce and capacity planning across urban, rural, andremote communities, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and efficiently.
•Enhance physician-led, team-based models of care by facilitating ongoing patient continuity,leading to improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
I strongly support the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians’ recommendations to:
1.Collaborate with key partners, including family physicians, community representatives,eHealth, and patients, to ensure the patient attachment registry is accessible, interoperable, andequitable for all residents.
2.Invest dedicated provincial funding to the registry’s development, ongoing maintenance,rigorous evaluation, and user support. We need to ensure this isn’t just a program on paper, but afunctional and supported system.
I request prompt actions to ensure that all Saskatchewan residents have access to high-quality, consistent primary care. I look forward to hearing that you are working to find a solution to this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
{Your name will be here}
