Help wanted in the Island health-care industry
Forecast projects P.E.I. needs 50 family doctors, 618 nurses to outpace departures
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – P.E.I. needs to hire more than 2,000 health-care workers – from doctors to nurses to social workers – over the next 10 years to outpace attrition and keep up with the needs of the province's growing population.
This was one of the findings of a health human resources forecast, prepared for the province by the health data firm Health Intelligence Inc. and associates. The 243-page report, described on its cover as a clinical and preventive services plan, was obtained by SaltWire through a freedom of information request.
The forecast estimates
P.E.I. will need to recruit 1,267 full-time equivalent health staff between now and 2032 just to keep its health staffing at current levels. This would offset retirements, outmigration, changing demographics and expected deaths.
But to keep up with the province's growing population and to implement a collaborative model of health care, a further 798 full-time equivalent health staff will need to be recruited.
This means P.E.I. will need to hire 2,066 more full-time health workers between now and 2032 or about 207 per year.
This projection includes
654 registered nurses, 246 licensed practical nurses and 52 nurse practitioners or 95 nurses per year.
The projections also suggest 50 general practice family physicians will retire or
depart by 2032 – close to half the current number of 102. Overall, the projection estimates the province will need to recruit 104 full-time general practice family doctors by 2032.
The report also included lower and higher forecasts for health human resource needs in the province. The higher projection estimates the province's health hiring needs could climb as high as 2,534 by 2032.
The forecast considered population growth estimates, population health and the province's current roster of full-time equivalent staff.
The forecast found the province's total current count of physicians was 388 or 300 full-time equivalents.
This count did not include 73 practising physicians who are currently over the age of 75.
The forecast removed these doctors from the province's current count as their retirement was deemed to be “imminent.”
Prior to this report, P.E.I. lacked a long-term forecast to guide health human resource planning. Staff shortages have been identified by health leaders as the biggest problem facing the health system.
CALLS FOR CHANGE
The report, overseen by former family doctor and current health human resource specialist David Peachey, also called for better use of health data and decision-making based on clear evidence.
“Health care in Prince Edward Island has been considered a provincial system. However, much of the planning and service delivery has been in regional silos and programs,” the Health Intelligence report said.
“This has resulted in fragmented services, concerns
over quality and access and challenges for those responsible for planning health human resources, capital investments and digital technology.”
Despite this, the report's authors found there was broad support within P.E.I.'s health system for change.
The report noted that funding is not the obstacle to this change. In 2022 P.E.I. spent nine per cent of the provincial budget on health care, a proportion higher than any other province.
“Doing things differently and better will take place in Prince Edward Island's health-care system. It is the unreserved opinion of the consultancy that all the pieces are in place in the province,” said the report.
COLLABORATIVE CARE HURDLES
The report had praise for
P.E.I.'s current focus on developing medical homes, also known as collaborative care practices.
These practices involve co-operation between family doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals and are intended to provide better, more appropriate care for patients.
However, the report also noted P.E.I.'s medical homes have “not achieved (their) potential” due to lack of resources and “piecemeal” implementation.
The report suggested the term “medical home” be changed to “primary care collaborative care centre” to better emphasize the collaborative practice aspect.
This was only one of the report's 55 total recommendations.
Other recommendations included establishing an implementation committee for these 55 recommendations, ensuring Health P.E.I. take the lead in all activities related to health recruitment and retention and improving health workforce data collection and forecasting.
In an email, Samantha Hughes, communications representative for the Department of Health and Wellness, thanked Peachey for his work.
“This work will be an important tool in enabling us to forecast future workforce needs,” Hughes said.
“A needs-based health human resource forecasting model is an important component of this process that will support the optimization of scopes of practice, improve health service integration and support a more stable health workforce.”