Former, current health ministers clash over PCH doc departures

Health Minister Ernie Hudson faced questions from both Liberal and Green Opposition benches on Friday about recent departures of doctors and specialists from Prince County Hospital.

Liberal MLAs had been raising the departures from PCH staff for over a week in the legislature. Last Friday, Liberal MLA Heath MacDonald told the legislature that two physicians, including one surgeon, at PCH had “abruptly resigned this week.”

On Friday, Green MLA Trish Altass also asked Hudson about the departures and suggested more could be coming in the future.

Altass asked whether Prince County has had more difficulty with retaining doctors than other regions.

“Is there a regionality issue with retention of physicians on P.E.I.? Are we losing doctors in West Prince quicker than Charlottetown?” Altass asked the minister.

The response from the minister offered little clarity on the specific departures of staff at Prince County Hospital. Instead, Hudson questioned what Altass considered to be “West Prince.”

“I’d be interested in knowing what the member considers West Prince,” Hudson said.

“There have been four new doctors (that) came to West Prince. There is an additional doctor that is completing their residency now that has signed an agreement to practice out of the West Prince area,” Hudson said.

Hudson added that surgical services at Prince County Hospital are “not being impacted.”

Liberal MLA Robert Henderson, a former health minister, also followed up with further questions about the departure of Prince County Hospital doctors, suggesting three may have left.

“We are hearing stories of chaos and confusion at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside. In recent weeks, I have been hearing from health-care professionals and patients that there is a sense of crisis developing at a very important hospital located in Summerside,” Henderson said. “Have you met with the staff and doctors at the Prince County Hospital recently to deal with what is going on with the delivery of health care services?”

Hudson said he meets weekly with the newly named interim CEO of Health P.E.I. Michael Gardam and with chief medical officer Katherine McNally. He also aimed at the health-care record of the previous Liberal government and repeatedly pointed to four physicians that have been recruited to work in West Prince since the start of the year.

“We have plans, compared to the previous administration that had no plans,” Hudson said. “We have locum supports in place at Prince County Hospital, as much as possible, to ensure that no surgeries will be impacted.”

Hudson also said exit surveys are held with departing staff to determine their reason for leaving.

An email from a communications representative from Health P.E.I. confirmed that one surgeon has recently resigned at PCH. Another locum, whose contract runs until the end of June, will not be renewing their contract.

The representative indicated neither individual has completed an exit survey, as neither physician has fully departed yet.

“Individual exit surveys are voluntary and confidential, for internal use,” the Health P.E.I. representative said in an email.