Five of Fort Erie’s 12 family doctors expected to retire within five years

Nearly 40 per cent of Fort Erie’s family doctors are expected to retire within five years, in a town where 13,542 residents already go without one.

That’s according to a report by Toronto consulting firm Santis Health, presented to town council on September 28. The report found the town’s 12 family physicians care for 23,684 patients.

Each of those doctors care for about 1,970 patients on average, based on the report’s figures.

“This is a gap that will inevitably widen as 39 per cent of these physicians retire within the next five years,” the report said.

The report does not say how many patients the retiring doctors currently care for, or how many patients the remaining doctors could take on.

The town hired Santis Health to recommend how residents can keep getting local care after Niagara Health closes the Douglas Memorial site and its urgent care centre in 2028.

Fort Erie’s population is growing faster than the town projected, reaching an estimated 37,226 in 2025. Its annual growth rate of 2.22 per cent has already passed targets set for 2031, the report said.

The report also counted roughly 100,000 seasonal visitors a year who rely on the same local health-care services.

Many residents without a family doctor go to the urgent care centre at Douglas Memorial on Bertie Street, which handles 13,065 visits a year.

Most of those visits are for minor injuries and breathing problems a family doctor could treat, the report found.

Santis Health recommends a community health hub where family doctors and other health workers would share one building and offer evening and weekend hours.

The report said team-based clinics attract new medical graduates, who increasingly prefer working in groups over running solo practices.

Council endorsed the hub in principle on September 28 and approved another $118,000 to develop a business case. The vote does not commit the town to a site or any construction cost.

“Significant work remains, and council maintains its position that the UCC (urgent care centre) at Douglas Memorial continues until a viable alternative is in place for our community,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop in a news release Tuesday.

Town staff will return to council with a recommended plan and cost estimates for the hub, but the town has not said when.

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