N.B. woman shocked at four-year wait time to see dermatologist
A Riverview, N.B., woman has written her MLA and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard in hopes of having her voice heard over wait times to see specialists.
Linda Lipton is hoping to be an advocate for people going through a similar situation as her.
Lipton was diagnosed with psoriasis almost 20 years ago and the itchiness and burning of her skin has recently gotten worse.
Her family doctor referred her to a dermatologist in Moncton and when she called she said she was told unless she has some form of skin cancer the wait time would be four years. She was also told that wait time is the same for all dermatologists in the province.
"I knew there would be a wait, maybe a year I was thinking. But four years is quite shocking and unacceptable. At the rate my psoriasis is progressing now, it makes me wonder what I'll be like in four years from now," said Lipton.
She needs to see a specialist to discuss different treatment options and patient support programs, which can be costly.
Lipton feels like she's slipped through the cracks of the health care system.
"I do feel like it, especially being told four years, and the comment I was told by the receptionist at the [doctor's] office was basically, 'Well, if you don't have skin cancer you're way at the bottom.' I understand cancer is a very serious thing, but other health conditions shouldn't be put to the wayside," she said.
Dr. Mark MacMillan, the president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, shares Lipton's frustration and hopes she'll be able to see a specialist soon.
"It's not that someone's falling through the cracks, it's that someone is in a system with extensive wait lists that has only been compounded over the last two and a half years by cancellations and the issue about the decrease in resources we have available. I completely feel for her and I'm compassionate about her concerns," said MacMillan.
In a statement to CTV News, the Department of Health said it's unable to comment on specific individuals or situations.
"The department is working with its health partners, including the regional health authorities, on the recruitment and retention of health professionals from many disciplines, including specialists," read the statement.
The statement also said the Department of Health recognizes there are immediate challenges facing health care delivery, but those challenges are also being experienced in other provinces.
"The regional health authorities can speak to the current waiting lists for healthcare services, including those delivered by specialists," the Department of Health stated.
Lipton was referred to a dermatologist who is part of the Vitalité Health Network. When asked to comment on Lipton's situation, a spokesperson for Vitalité said unfortunately he was too busy to respond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.