People fighting the ravages of cancer could be turned away from critical medical care.

Eleven specialists have received a letter stating the McMurtry-Baerg Cancer Centre at Vernon Jubilee Hospital will no longer take new patients from seven outlying communities because of workload, and the number of towns could grow.

“I deeply regret the inconvenience and loss of service which we can provide, but we simply can no longer provide a regional service,” said Dr. Ed Hardy, medical oncologist, in the letter.

The communities listed in the letter are Blind Bay, Nakusp, Edgewood, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Lake Country. Lumby and Enderby and Cherryville are under review.

“Our main mandate has always been to serve the patients of Vernon and immediate surrounding area,” said Hardy.

Physicians are asked to refer new patients to the Cancer Centre for the Southern Interior in Kelowna or hospitals in Salmon Arm and Kamloops.

In his letter, Hardy claims there is a lack of funds from the Interior Health Authority and the B.C. Cancer Agency, which oversee the centre.

“We have experienced a 2,000-visit increase between 04/05 and 08/09, with another 1,500 increase projected this year,” said Hardy.

“I saw 252 new patient consults in 2004/05 and 354 in 2008/09. It is increasingly difficult for us to see patients and offer them treatment in a timely fashion.”

When contacted by The Morning Star, Hardy says he wrote the letter based on talks with IHA and BCCA.

“I’m not happy about not seeing patients, but if we’re not staffed as a regional centre, we can’t operate as one,” said Hardy.

Enderby, Lumby and Cherryville are considered to be part of VJH’s traditional coverage.

“It’s not something we’re taking lightly at all. These are communities under our catchment area,” said Hardy.

IHA insists there has been no decision to stop referrals of new patients from communities identified in Hardy’s letter.

“It (the letter) didn’t come with support from BCCA and the IHA,” said Pat Furey, VJH administrator.

“It presupposes BCCA won’t come back with resources and I don’t support that.”

Furey says there have been discussions with the BCCA to increase funds and she wouldn’t comment on whether limiting patients is possible.

“I can’t presuppose because we’re waiting to hear back from BCCA.”

IHA states there are 2.2 full-time-equivalent nursing positions in the centre, as well as 1.5 for clerical and 1.5 for doctors, not including Hardy.

“Our volume has been going up. We have an aging population and we need an increase in resources to manage demand,” said Furey.

The B.C. Cancer Agency says it has approved increased nursing and clerical time and Hardy’s concerns are being considered.

“We are working with Dr. Hardy to determine what’s the best distribution of patients,” said Dr. Susan O’Reilly, vice-president of cancer care.

“We have not come to any decisions on whether Vernon is over the top (with case loads).Patients can feel comfortable that their needs are being met.”

The possibility of patients being turned away is a concern for Dr. Hamish Hwang, a surgeon with 10 to 15 per cent of his patients coming from outside of the North Okanagan.

“The growth in the region has really outpaced the size of the small clinic. The last thing we want is for someone to get the wrong chemo or the wrong dose because there are too manypatients and not enough nursing staff to look after them properly,” he said.

“Like all areas at our hospital there is a real need for expansion.”