Tignis, PEI, a doctor who has been practicing medicine on the Island for just over a year, is leaving the province.
Last year, Dr. Peter Entwistle said he was looking for the right place to start his practice and believed he had found it in Tignis.
Entwistle would not make a recorded interview about his departure, but in a telephone conversation with CBC News on Monday, he said he was not retiring, was not ill and would not be fired.
He added that he was leaving with no other job to go to and would look for work elsewhere, “but not in PEI.”
Health PEI says the doctor’s departure leaves more than 2,000 patients without a family doctor.
Entwistle began accepting patients at Tignish Co-op, a community-owned health center, in February 2021.
“This is causing some concern.”
“Where I work right now, Tignish is a really great place to work,” he told CBC News in an interview at the time.
Health Secretary Ernie Hudson says he is confident a doctor will be found for Tignish Co-op Health Center. (Tignish Co-op Health Center)
Entwistle studied to be a doctor in the United Kingdom, but immigrated to Canada in part because of his frustration with the health care system there. Settles in British Columbia.
But his frustration continued – so much so that he ran for office in the British Columbia legislature as an independent to draw attention to some of the problems he saw with the system in this province.
The issue of leaving Entwistle reached the PEI parliament on Friday.
Hal Perry, MLA for Tignish-Palmer Road, said he was told Entwistle was retiring.
He said the loss of the only doctor in the community would be felt throughout the Western PEI community.
“This is really worrying,” Perry told reporters. “People want medical services to be provided on the spot.
The position is published
“But my understanding is that Health PEI and the staff of the health center, the board and the administrator are working very hard together to replace and hire this doctor as soon as possible.”
Health Secretary Ernie Hudson would not go into detail about why Entwisle is leaving, citing reasons for confidentiality. (Rick Gibbs / CBC)
Health Secretary Ernie Hudson would not go into detail about why Entwistle was leaving, citing reasons for confidentiality.
“The position is published for the position of a family doctor outside the health center in Tignis, and also, the coverage of Turkish delight in the summer is settled at this time,” said Hudson.
“There are practicing nurses who are available at the Tignish Health Clinic, as well as other services provided there.”
Health PEI also declined to say why Entwistle was leaving and whether he had received any incentives to come to the province.
“We cannot comment on direct staffing issues or incentives received from individuals,” a spokesman told CBC News.
“A little surprised”
Wendy Arseno, manager of Tignish Co-op Health Center, agreed that the medical center is covered by surrogates and practicing nurses for the foreseeable future.
Wendy Arseno, manager of the Tignish Co-op health center, says she has been told that Entwistle is retiring. (Wendy Arseno)
“I was a little surprised and we were a little disappointed,” Arseno said of leaving.
She added that Health PEI is looking for a full-time doctor and “I have full faith that they will find one.”
As for why Entwistle is leaving, Arseno said she was told the doctor was retiring.
Speaking of what Entwisle said about not retiring and not working for PEI, Arseno said: “This is absolutely news to me, because what he told me is that he is retiring.”
“Carefully optimistic”
The Prince Edward Island Medical Society said in a statement: “Every time a doctor decides to leave Prince Edward Island, it is a frustrating but very personal decision. We will work closely with our healthcare partners to determine if there is anything to learn from these scenarios for future recruitment and retention improvements. ”
Entwistle and his wife Sheri-Anne Entwhistle moved to PEI in early 2021 (Submitted by Dr. Peter Entwistle)
The last day of Entwistle is Friday.
Health PEI says patients should not be registered in the patient registry for fear of losing their place if a new doctor is hired.
Arseno said the doctor had made only limited coverage in the emergency department of a nearby Western Hospital, so the impact on the local hospital is expected to be minimal.
As for the health minister, Hudson said he was convinced a doctor would be found for Tignish.
“I am a cautious optimist, but optimistic that this position will be taken,” he said.
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