A form letter that you can send to you patients to help them understand

Dear patients, I want you to have access to timely healthcare but there are many things that are making it very hard for my staff and I assist you in your healthcare journey. Please listen. I am trying my best. I am trying to arrange referrals with specialists but they are drowning in referrals. I am trying to get diagnostic imaging based on your needs and urgency but there is a tremendous back log in the system. I am doing my best to deal with your prescription changes since many medications are not covered or there are drug shortages or no are longer available. I rely on my pharmacist colleagues to help with renewals and changes but they are struggling with more demands on their time and losing staff. Read: Dr. Alykhan Abdulla: Why would anyone want to be a family doctor? I am sorry you choose to go to the ER because waiting a day or two or coming afterhours is not convenient for your schedules. I know lots of family doctors retiring or reducing their practice sizes. It is not because they are selfish. They are just trying to look after their families and themselves. They are burning out. My staff are trying to answer all 300 to 400 calls per day in addition to greeting you and answering your questions but they are only human. They don’t deserve rudeness or sarcasm or worse. My doctors and nurses are doing the best they can to run on time but every patient comes with many issues and additional mental health challenges that lengthens each visit. I am trying to see you as soon as you like but I cannot work more than the 12 hours per day that I am working now to deal with inefficiencies, failures, and errors in the system. I need some time on weekends and holidays to catch up on my work, and maybe rest or spend some time with my family. I am sorry that I cannot accept your family members or friends. I am struggling with my present load. I am overwhelmed at times myself. I’m sorry you are in pain, or worried, or have many unanswered questions, or unmet expectations. The healthcare system is broken. Please consider this petition: https://chng.it/b87ctBmt It will take thousands more family doctors and thousands more nurses to fix this problem. If only there was light at the end of the tunnel… Sincerely, Dr. Alykhan Abdulla Dr. Alykhan Abdulla is a family doctor working in Manotick, Ont. past chair of the section of general and family practice and lead for longitudinal leadership curricula at UOttawa undergraduate medical education.

A form letter that you can send to you patients to help them understand

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