West Parry Sound Health Centre closes nurse practitioner clinic in Britt, Ont.

The West Parry Sound Health Centre has decided to close its nurse practitioner clinic in Britt, Ont., about 100 kilometres south of Sudbury.

Dave Marlin, the fire chief for Britt and area, found out when he went for an appointment during the last week of June.

"I found the receptionist taping up the sign on the door," he said, and was told the clinic would close the next week for good, on Canada Day.

"At that time, no notice was given to any of the patients of the clinic that they would be closing in the near future or anything,"  said Marlin, who needs weekly allergy shots.

He was told he'd have to travel  30 kilometres south to another clinic run by the health centre, in Pointe au Baril.

Apart from the extra time he'll have to spend on the road, he worries about the older people in the community who may have trouble navigating Highway 69, especially in the winter.

"I'm worried that they are just going to throw their hands up and say, well, I don't need my prescriptions or I don't need to go get my blood work done this week," he said.

"A lot of these people came to town because we had a nursing centre that was a walk away. They knew they could get their prescriptions picked up. They knew they could be seen.  I think there's going to be people that are just  scared or fed up, and not willing to make a call, and see a doctor."

The CEO of the West Parry Sound Health Centre, Donald Sanderson, said the clinic had been without a permanent nurse practitioner since the last one retired three years ago, and could no longer keep making do.

He said it had about 340 rostered patients who will be taken care of in the new facility

Sanderson said he's aware the extra travel may be difficult for some but he said efforts are being taken to ease the transition.

"We are able to have a pair of advanced care paramedics drop in on patients for scheduled checkups and visits," Sanderson said. 

"We also use virtual care through telemedicine and that is continuing to go on. And as well, everyone in Ontario is entitled to home care through Ontario Health at Home."

He added that he thinks people living in the Britt, Byng Inlet, Henvey Inlet and Magnetawan First Nations communities will get faster service at the modern facility in Pointe au Baril, because waiting lists were so long in Britt.

The chair of the committee that owns and operates the building, Stephen Wohleber, said he found the announcement came abruptly.

He noted the community raised the money to build the Britt clinic which opened in 2012, and it was designed specifically to be a medical facility, costing a total of $700,000.

"We are still paying off a mortgage on that property as during construction we received no provincial funding whatsoever for for capital expenditures," said Wohleber.

He said he's been notified the lease will end in December, although the CEO of the health centre said if a nurse practitioner can be found, the facility may reopen.

However, the director of the local services board for the Britt and Byng Inlet area, Harold Themer, said no one hinted at any problems looming.

He said the board would have been willing to jump in and help with recruitment efforts.

"So it is a problem, but we were willing, and we are willing to solve it," said Themer.

"The primary goal, the primary objective, is to prevent the permanent closing of the nursing station. It is part of our community and must remain so."

Themer said the board would work on ways to help the elderly and get their prescriptions to them.

He is organizing a public meeting to hear from the public and perhaps get answers from officials.

It's scheduled for 7 pm, Thursday, July 2 at the legion in Britt.

The MPP for Parry Sound Muskoka, Graydon Smith, responded in a statement.

"I understand how vital this clinic is to the health and well-being of the community. In small and rural areas, health services are deeply valued," it said.

"I've been advised that this decision was driven by ongoing staffing challenges and potentially site-related issues, including infrastructure limitations. That doesn't make it any easier for residents who rely on this care. I want the people of Britt to know, I share your frustration. I am actively seeking more information and pushing for any feasible solutions that can help maintain access to care." 

Closed without Ministry of Health approval

In a statement, Ontario's Ministry of Health said the West Parry Sound Nurse Practitioner Led clinic made the decision to reduce services at their Britt location without ministry approval. 

The ministry said it's working with the nurse practitoner-led clinic "with the goal of ensuring services continue to be delivered at their Britt location."

The ministry said the province is adding 150 new education seats for nurse practitioners and expanding their scope of practice.