Nova Scotians play waiting game trying to access walk-in clinics

Walk-in clinics are getting harder to find in Nova Scotia, especially in urban centers.

The Regency Park family practice went to a reservation model for appointments during the pandemic to ensure physical distancing.

“Now, we find it’s just the best option for our doctors and for most especially the patients,” says clinic director Shellene Becket.

The wait for an appointment, however, can be lengthy.

“A non-urgent case, depending on the doctor, you’re probably looking at anywhere from four days to about a week and a half,” Becket says.

It’s not the only clinic changing how it does business.

Same-day, walk-in appointment service is becoming harder to find. That’s frustrating for some patients like Janet McLeod, who woke up with an ear infection and couldn’t find a place that could see her on short notice.

“I had to go to the Cobequid Centre and tie up the hospital and it wasn’t a real emergency,” McLeod says.

The president of Doctors NS says the reason for the lack of walk-in clinics is clear.

“There’s a physician shortage overall and we are seeing that both in primary care in longitudinal office space practises but we’re also seeing it in walk-in clinics,” says Dr. Leisha Hawker.

“It’s been more and more challenging to even staff the walk-in shifts so they haven’t been able to provide services as robustly as they used to be able to.”

Hawker says recruitment and retention of primary care providers is crucial to help patients and the system recover as quickly as possible.

Anyone who finds themselves in need of walk-in type services can call the province's 811 health hotline. If you’re on the doctor waitlist, Nova Scotians can access virtual care.