Yellowknife (Feb 18/05) - Yellowknife doctors are seeing fewer patients now than five years ago, creating long waits for medical care, says a city MLA.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins blamed the situation on the switch from fee-for-service to salaried contracts for physicians five years ago.

In 2000, each of the 14 doctors saw an average of 40 patients a day, Hawkins said, whereas today there are 24 doctors seeing 20 patients a day.

The math translates into 80 fewer appointments a day said, said Hawkins.

"The doctors are guaranteed X-amount of dollars a day whether they are full or not," said Hawkins.

"I think doctors are getting a big break."

Hawkins has heard rumours that family physicians are trying to negotiate a deal with the government that would bring down the number of doctor's appointments to 16 a day.

In the legislative assembly on Monday, Health and Social Services Minister Michael Miltenberger confirmed Hawkins' assertion that doctors are seeing fewer patients under the salaried contract system.

Miltenberger said he hadn't heard the rumour physicians want to reduce their patient load to 16 patients a day.

Diane McFadden, executive director of the NWT Medical Association, said she was unaware of any plans to reduce patient load further. Doctors' contract with the GNWT doesn't expire for another three years.

Cutting back to 20 patients a day five years ago has improved medical care, she said.

"Maybe Robert Hawkins would like them to see 40 patients a day, but if you're seeing a patient every 10 minutes, is that any quality of care?" asked McFadden.

"You'd barely get in there to get your coat off and tell them your name, and then your 10 minutes are up."

Miltenberger told the legislative assembly on Tuesday that his department is looking over a plan that would amalgamate the three existing downtown family clinics into one that could be open for longer hours.

Such a move would free up the emergency room at Stanton Hospital because an amalgamated clinic would have X-ray equipment and basic out-patient services that the clinics currently don't have, he said.