Cancer care not impacted
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Updated: July 16, 2009 10:29 AM
A Vernon oncologist may have jumped the gun.
In a June 26 letter to several Vernon doctors, oncologist Dr. Edward Hardy advised he would no longer accept new patients from Blind Bay, Salmon Arm, Sicamous or Revelstoke, among other communities.
“While improved access to drugs and improved outcomes has been good for our patients, it has resulted in an increased load on our nursing, clerical and pharmacy staff,” he wrote.
Staffing levels have not kept pace with patient visits that have increased by 2,000 between 2004-05 to 2008-09, he said. As well, visits are expected to increase by another 1,500 this year.
“It is increasingly difficult for us to see patients and offer them care in a timely fashion,” he said, advising doctors to refer patients to Shuswap Lake General Hospital, Kelowna or Kamloops.
But Dr. Susan O’Reilly, vice-president of cancer care at the BC Cancer Agency, says that there is no risk to patients and that only a few would be affected. In 2008, a total of 13 patients from Salmon Arm, one from Blind Bay and six from Sicamous visited Dr. Hardy’s Vernon office.
“They could readily get their therapy at Shuswap Lake General Hospital,” O’Reilly says. “We’re working with Interior Health to make sure patients get access to their nearest clinic.”
O’Reilly says Hardy’s letter on BC Cancer Agency letterhead was not approved by either the agency or Interior Health.
“I think he had been unaware they’d be getting more resources to staff the clinic,” O’Reilly says, noting discussions had been underway between IH and the cancer agency. “I think his letter is premature, we were just finalizing plans.”
O’Reilly says the health region and cancer agency work together to rationalize referrals.
“We aim for a quick response. If one centre is overloaded we refer them elsewhere,” she says. “I think most people would rather drive a half-hour extra.”
In the meantime, O’Reilly says the cancer agency has not recommended changes nor has IH said they will change referral patterns.
“Now we’ve added some resources, we’ll examine services over the next few weeks,” she says. “It’s a matter of getting people in quickly and getting optimal care.”
Part of Provincial Health Services, the BC Cancer Agency delivers cancer control, providing or conducting a whole range of activities including screening and testing. The agency operates five cancer centres, including one in Kelowna.
“We partner with regional health authorities in delivering services in smaller communities where we run cancer facilities with doctors. We’re a health care agency,” she says, “The agency provides a financial grant to support approximately half the delivery of services in Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Cranbrook, and Salmon Arm.”
O’Reilly says it is important to know that smaller clinics usually only have one oncologist and may or may not have CT scanners or other diagnostic equipment.
“One oncologist can only manage so many patients and IH has to decide how many patients each can handle, as do the doctors,” she says. “And then the agency has to decide how all patients can have their needs met.”
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