Prairie North Health Region is in the process of negotiating an agreement to purchase the Twin City Medical Building in North Battleford in order set up an extended-hours walk-in clinic to give patients an alternative to long waits in the emergency department when they can't see their family doctor.
Vice-president of Primary Health Services Vikki Smart says it could be open within the next several months.
"It's been long overdue and we've had difficulty having that set up on a continuing basis," said Smart Tuesday.
Using a facility already set up as a physician's clinic made a lot of sense in getting it open as soon as possible, she said. Whether this will end up being the site of the walk-in clinic is still to be confirmed.
An analysis of data along with interviews with people using the ER, said Smart, has made the need for a walk-in clinic clear. Many people interviewed said they were using the ER because they needed to get some help but their family was away, or they were told to come to the ER because they couldn't get in to their doctor's office right away, or it was after office hours and they need someplace to go.
"Without a doubt everyone felt, really, the most appropriate place was a walk-in clinic because our ER is set up to do what it does best, emergencies," said Smart. "When people come with other issues, they need to wait while the people who have the emergent issues are dealt with, so it means long waits for people to get care."
While one part of the solution is the walk-in clinic, another is to make people aware of other resources, she added. One of them is the province's HealthLine, accessible by telephone by dialing 811 or online.
"Sometimes people come [to the ER] because they are a bit concerned about something and sometimes talking to somebody on the HealthLine or going to HealthLine online is helpful for them," said Smart. "That is something we are encouraging people to do."
In addition, she said, some people can get help by going to their pharmacist.
For example, she said, there are people coming into ER because they've had a reaction to the smoky atmosphere caused by forest fires who could get help from their pharmacist.
She also noted, if their prescription has lapsed, pharmacists can extend their prescription until they are able to get into their doctor.
"We are really trying to help people make good decisions around when to use the ER."
Still, the biggest difference will be having an alternate walk-in clinic for those things patients can go to their family doctor for, said Smart.
It's likely there will be up to four physicians.
"There are currently physicians in what's called the SIPPA program, so they have come and started to practice and we will be helping them, once we have the space, to get set up."
The Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to practice family medicine in Saskatchewan.
"Part of what we're looking for in collaboration with them is to have extended hours in a walk-in clinic seven days a week," said Smart.
While she couldn't confirm what those hours might be, she said "We're looking for a longer time into the evening."
Smart said generally there are just over 30,000 visits to the ER every year and the data shows more than 15,000, that's 51 per cent, are patients that can actually go to the family doctor to get their needs met.
"But in the Battlefords we don't have another option for them."
Offering the service of a walk-in clinic will be budget friendly for the health region.
"We are actually going to be reducing the strain on one service which will then save dollars that way by introducing another."
She added, "These are fee for service physicians. They will be paying their way so it doesn't affect our budget. In the end it will mean better care for our patients."
