Yukon Party says plans for Whitehorse walk-in clinic will 'poach' doctors from family practices

The Yukon Party's health critic says the proposed pay scale for doctors at a planned walk-in clinic will only end up "poaching" doctors from family practices.

The Yukon government aims to open the new walk-in clinic in a Whitehorse industrial park at the end of January. It's aimed at offering a place for Yukoners without a family doctor, of which there are thousands, to get prescriptions refilled or minor ailments treated, without having to go to the emergency room at Whitehorse General Hospital.

According to a request for expressions of interest issued by the government, doctors with family practices will earn $230 per hour for the first two shifts of each month at the clinic. They'll earn $200 per hour for each subsequent shift. That's the same rate offered to doctors without a family practice for all shifts at the clinic.

MLA Brad Cathers said Thursday that pay structure is a bad idea.

"Doctors in the territory are working as much as they want to work," he said. "They've got thousands of people on the wait list to find a doctor. And taking doctors who are already working in family practices from their clinics to work at another clinic is going to mean they're seeing less patients, who they're currently serving, and seeing other patients."

Cathers said the government should be focusing on recruiting more doctors to move to the territory.

Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee saidthe walk-in clinic pay rates were recommended by a panel of doctors. And she said there are at least 30 primary care doctors who don't have family practices in the territory.

McPhee said she hopes the pay scale will convince some of those doctorsto work at least a few shifts at the clinic.

"The assumptionmade by Mr. Cathers is that every doctor in the territory does have that kind of a practice and therefore would need to leave that kind of a practice to come over and support the walk in clinic," she said. "And that's simply not the facts."