A quest to have the province approve and fund a nurse practitioner in Niagara-on-the-Lake continues, but so far with no result.
Coun. Sandra O’Connor has been advocating for more than a year to have a nurse practitioner replaced. There was one available in town to see people who were not patients of the Niagara North Family Health Team, but she went on maternity leave, didn’t return and was not replaced.
The family health team has two nurse practitioners, but they can only see rostered patients.
There are many people in town without doctors, or if they have them, they may be in Toronto or Markham or Oakville, O’Connor says. “Some people who have come to town recently have maintained their family doctor, if it’s within driving distance.”
Others have found doctors in St. Catharines or Niagara Falls, “but a larger number don’t have any doctor at all, and are going to walk-in clinics when needed, which isn’t ideal, depending on your state of health.”
She says there could be as many as 8,000 residents looking for a local doctor.
A nurse practitioner would be able to see them and visitors to town, and would be the best scenario for those waiting for doctors, she says.
MPP Wayne Gates has been lobbying the province for a nurse practitioner on behalf of NOTL. He’s written two letters to Sylvia Jones, the minister of health, is about to write another with Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, and was hoping to speak during question period this week to ask why a nurse practitioner hasn’t been approved.
In his latest letter, dated Sept. 15, he says, “For years, Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council and residents have advocated for the introduction of nurse practitioner services to expand the depth of care available. They have long expressed their concern about primary care shortages and its effect on Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“With a significant primary care shortage, and lack of access to emergency hospital services, Niagara-on-the-Lake needs support to obtain nurse practitioner services. Sadly, they have not been able to secure these services to date. It is my sincere hope that the Ministry will collaborate with Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council and my office to help Niagara-on-the-Lake secure permanent nurse practitioner walk-in clinic services.”
O’Connor, Zalepa and Gates are all frustrated that it hasn’t happened yet.
“We’re getting all the right signs this is going to happen,” says Zalepa. “I don’t understand the impediment. We’re hearing the right things, that the funding is in place. It seems like it’s going to happen, and then nothing happens.”
“There is some action,” says O’Connor. “It’s getting visibility. The ministry has funded it before. We’re just hoping at this point to get to the right conclusion, soon.”
