Family doctor access highlighted by 'overwhelming' number of responses to MLA

P.E.I. PC MLA Darlene Compton said she's heard from an "overwhelming" number of people acrossthe Island who areare having issues accessing a family doctor or who have concerns about the health care system.

Compton said she had already been getting calls from her constituents, following Dr. David Hambly's retirement in Montague, P.E.I.

Those concerns inspired a call-out on social media, which she said she didin an effort to see how widespread the access problem is.

She told the CBC she got a "couple hundred" responses from throughout the Island.

"I had a number of people sharing my post, private messaging me, sending me e-mails," she said. "It was really a barrage of response."

Compton said she expects even more issues to arise as more doctors retire.

"Is this going to happen on a regular basis, and is the province prepared for that?" she said.

Compton said she will bring the information to the province when the legislature resumes in the spring.

CBC News contacted the province but so far has not received a comment.

The province recently did a reviewof the physician allotment for eastern P.E.I. but no details have been released yet.