Health Clinics to send letters to repeat offenders
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 25/01) - Yellowknife health clinics are facing a growing number of patient no-shows and it's costing the health board money and keeping waiting lists long.
Clinics in the city are scrambling to keep up with demand, but for every no-show who doesn't call in and cancel, someone else misses an opportunity to see a doctor quickly.
| Facts - Basic cost of clinical consultation: $30 - Number of clinical consultations in the month of April: 4,289
- Number of clinical no-shows in the month of April: 813 |
"It's frustrating," said Rhodes.
"People scream at you and ask why there are no openings," she said.
Rhodes said a basic visit costs the Department of Health about $30. She said a doctor normally sees four clients in an hour.
According to Heather Leslie, director of clinic services for the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board, the problem is not new.
"It's been going on for years," she said.
Leslie said the clinics will begin sending letters to people who don't bother showing up for appointments.
"After three no-shows we send a letter," she said.
The city's four clinics had around 813 no shows last month.
According to Carol Gibson, supervisor for the Gibson Medical Clinic she began with her husband, Dr. George Gibson 27 years ago, her clinic books on average 25 appointments a day, between seven and eight are no-shows.
"Those are patients we could have seen if people would have called and cancelled," she said.
According to Leslie, there's little else the clinics can do besides sending letters. Rhodes said doctors in her clinic have the option of not seeing someone who habitually blows off appointments.
Last August the health board took over all four clinics. The formerly privately-owned clinics were having trouble recruiting doctors.
"All people have to do is call in. Even a half-hour before," she said.
All four clinics in the city saw a total of 4,289 patients last month.
Each clinic has an average waiting list of 10 a day.
Dental clinics and hair salons also face similar problems in the city.
Shron Veerman, business administrator for Adam Dental Clinic, said dentists usually have at least one no-show a day, but many times it goes as high as four or five.
The base rate for a dental appointment is $75.
