Dire shortage of doctors in Welland leads to $1 million recruitment campaign

Welland needs new doctors “stat!” and the city is sinking $1 million into recruiting them.

Looking for at least 10 new doctors to either set up practices or take over existing ones, the city is offering $100,000 for each new family physician if they’re willing to sign a contract saying they’ll hang their stethoscopes in the city for a five-year commitment.

At the moment, Welland has the lowest physician-to-patient ratio in Niagara with just 4.3 doctors for every 10,000 residents.

In a report to council by Lina DeChellis, the city’s Manager of Economic Development, she said that Welland was deemed as an area “of high physician need” by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

“The City of Welland as of February 2023 is short 17 family physicians. This number will only increase as our population grows and family physicians retire,” the report said.

The report added that in the past five years, Welland has lost six physicians while adding only three and that 34 per cent of Welland family doctors are over the age of 65.

“Attracting 10 new physicians to the City of Welland continues to ensure that existing residents and future residents will have more choices and ensure that adequate supply of family physicians in Welland.”

DeChellis’ report was backed up by Niagara Region Physician Recruitment Specialist Jill Croteau, who said in a letter that the recruitment cash was necessary since “physicians who are leaving a practice in another community, will incur costs for relocation and lost wages after notice is given.”

Croteau noted that trying to pull doctors into a new community could be tricky as there was an inherent “risk in closing a viable practice and relocate to a new city to start a new practice or take over an existing one.”

Knowing the field well, Croteau said at the moment, there are provinces in Canada that immediately offer “counter incentives” for physicians to stay put even after they give their notice.