Canadian health care was already shifting away from solo family doctors. Then the pandemic hit – CBC

Nurse practitioners among fastest growing health professions, Canadian Institute for Health Information finds

Nov 17, 2022

The picture of a family physician’s practice in Canada today reflects a shift away from solo work that may have accelerated with the heavy demands on health-care workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a report released Thursday, the Canadian Institute for Health Information examined pandemic-driven impacts on the supply, distribution and movement of some health-care workers in the country.

Findings between 2020 and 2021 included:

Overtime hours reached the highest level seen in over a decade, according to Statistics Canada.
More than 1,800 nurses moved into self-employment or agency jobs.
A slowing in the growth of the supply of primary care physicians, combined with a temporary decrease in their services during the first lockdown.
Dr. Lawrence Loh, CEO of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, said the profession is trying to adapt to the challenging number of patients who lack a primary care provider or ready access to their family doctor.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cihi-physicians-pandemic-1.6654212