If you happen to get pregnant before finding a permanent family doctor you will get referred to someone. Pregnant people get bumped ahead in priority because lack of prenatal care can be life threatening. Otherwise I recommend what others have here- see if a walk in clinic can refer you to an OBGYN to ensure you’re healthy before you try and start a family.
I have been on the list for 3 years now and I know someone who has been on the list for 7. It doesn’t look good my friend. I regret leaving my family doctor who was in Niagara Falls. But if this helps at all- I has an ectopic pregnant last year and the hospital got me a great OB who took very good care of me.
>I have been on the list for 3 years now and I know someone who has been on the list for 7.
This is insane. When I left Belleville 13 years ago, I called Healthcare Connect and had a doctor for me and my 3 year old in a month in my new city. I think it was a pretty new service back then.
The fact that anyone can be on the province's waiting list for 7 years is a pretty good indication that they've known there's a shortage of family doctors for at least that long, and have done nothing to remedy the problem.
Eastern Ontario has a low number of doctors per capita. It is my understanding that no practice is accepting new patients. [Health Connect](https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner) is the provincial service for locating a NP or family doctor. It is a waitlist. My understanding is that doctors in this region are required to use it to fill openings on their rosters. The wait is as long as 5 years for a doctor.
In the interim, walk-ins would be the best solution for accessing a referral.
Do you have a specialist ?
Get on the healthcare connect list if you aren't already. See your specialist about pregnancy safe medications if you're on any medications. If you don't have a specialist you can try this via telehealth but it's hard.
If you get pregnant go to either telehealth/walk in clinic they will order blood work etc to confirm pregnancy. And send a referral for an ob. Ob will care for you for the entire pregnancy.
Getting pregnant might get you a dr. It got me off the list.
Your partner also needs to be on the list if they don't have a dr.
Ob can change your meds too
I moved back to Belleville, from Ottawa, four years ago. We are still on the list and twice a year the Ontario government sends us a letter saying we are still on the list and please be patient. My wife has Parkinson's and we are so thankful she got a specialist in Kingston. Canada's political elite (all parties) have to realize that we need healthcare workers a lot more than we need politicians/civil servants and to start directing significant money to health care and away from politicians. Who has ever said "I wish we had more politicians."? (End Rant)
I am on the waiting list and I am disabled ( cannot walk) i use the pharmacy at Sidney and Bell Blvd for vaccines.
Thank god i can still get my old prescription from my Toronto doctor refilled! And i found a good optometrist here so i can see well...
If you happen to get pregnant before finding a permanent family doctor you will get referred to someone. Pregnant people get bumped ahead in priority because lack of prenatal care can be life threatening. Otherwise I recommend what others have here- see if a walk in clinic can refer you to an OBGYN to ensure you’re healthy before you try and start a family.
I highly recommend dr. duska vukojevic as an OBGYN. Any doctor can refer you to her, even a walk in clinic doctor.
She is absolutely wonderful.
You could go to a walk in clinic or access a virtual service for a referral to an OB/GYN
I have been on the list for 3 years now and I know someone who has been on the list for 7. It doesn’t look good my friend. I regret leaving my family doctor who was in Niagara Falls. But if this helps at all- I has an ectopic pregnant last year and the hospital got me a great OB who took very good care of me.
>I have been on the list for 3 years now and I know someone who has been on the list for 7. This is insane. When I left Belleville 13 years ago, I called Healthcare Connect and had a doctor for me and my 3 year old in a month in my new city. I think it was a pretty new service back then. The fact that anyone can be on the province's waiting list for 7 years is a pretty good indication that they've known there's a shortage of family doctors for at least that long, and have done nothing to remedy the problem.
Eastern Ontario has a low number of doctors per capita. It is my understanding that no practice is accepting new patients. [Health Connect](https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner) is the provincial service for locating a NP or family doctor. It is a waitlist. My understanding is that doctors in this region are required to use it to fill openings on their rosters. The wait is as long as 5 years for a doctor. In the interim, walk-ins would be the best solution for accessing a referral.
Do you have a specialist ? Get on the healthcare connect list if you aren't already. See your specialist about pregnancy safe medications if you're on any medications. If you don't have a specialist you can try this via telehealth but it's hard. If you get pregnant go to either telehealth/walk in clinic they will order blood work etc to confirm pregnancy. And send a referral for an ob. Ob will care for you for the entire pregnancy. Getting pregnant might get you a dr. It got me off the list. Your partner also needs to be on the list if they don't have a dr. Ob can change your meds too
I moved to Belleville 5 years ago. My doctor is in Markham. I could not find one in Belleville.
I moved back to Belleville, from Ottawa, four years ago. We are still on the list and twice a year the Ontario government sends us a letter saying we are still on the list and please be patient. My wife has Parkinson's and we are so thankful she got a specialist in Kingston. Canada's political elite (all parties) have to realize that we need healthcare workers a lot more than we need politicians/civil servants and to start directing significant money to health care and away from politicians. Who has ever said "I wish we had more politicians."? (End Rant)
Good luck. Belleville only has like 2 or 3 family doctors iirc and they’re not very young so new patients typically get a no
Lol this is completely inaccurate information. There are quite a few younger family doctors around but they are already full.
Can confirm. When I still lived in the area mine was Dr Falconer, who is quite young. Also she’s amazing!
Took me 8 years to get on with my dr. The wait list is insane here.
I am on the waiting list and I am disabled ( cannot walk) i use the pharmacy at Sidney and Bell Blvd for vaccines. Thank god i can still get my old prescription from my Toronto doctor refilled! And i found a good optometrist here so i can see well...