Some P.E.I. patients waiting many months for psychiatric services - Action News
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PEI

Some P.E.I. patients waiting many months for psychiatric services

People who need psychiatric services in Prince Edward Island are waiting months because of the province is short at least 10 psychiatrists.

'Less urgent ones can be fairly extensive,' waiting 6 to 9 months for an appointment

Need to see a psychiatrist? On P.E.I., the wait could be up to 9 months

5 months ago
Duration 1:53
Because of staffing shortages, P.E.I. psychiatrist Dr. Javier Salabarria says some people may have to wait up to nine months to get psychiatric care. For more urgent cases, the wait will still be up to a few months.

People who need psychiatric services in Prince Edward Island are waiting months because of a shortage of doctors with that specialization.

Dr. Javier Salabarria, the provincial medical director for mental health and addictions with Health P.E.I., says the province has more psychiatrists now than it did when he started more than six years ago.

But with a growing population, and plans for a new medical school based at UPEI, he acknowledges the need is only going to grow.

"We do have a wait list, and that wait list, depending on the triaging, can certainly be fairly long, unfortunately," Salabarria told CBC News."The more urgent ones [wait] somewhere in the range of a few months, and the less urgent ones can be fairly extensive, even six to nine months."

Health P.E.I. currently has the equivalent of 16 full-time psychiatrists; 12 working with patients outside a hospital setting and four working with people admitted for care.

A black sign with gold letters sits in front of a brick hospital on a bright sunny, blue sky day.
One of the biggest recruitment tools provincial officials have is a series of new buildings that are replacing aging facilities in and around Hillsborough Hospital in Charlottetown. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

The agency says it should have 26, meaning the system is short at least 10 full-time psychiatrists.

But a 2023 report predictingfuture human resource shortfalls in P.E.I.'s health-care system, known as the Peachey report,indicates Health P.E.I. will need as many as 36 psychiatrists over the next decade to deal with the province's increasing population and the new medical school at UPEI.

'A major, major loss'

Psychiatric services onthe Islandtook a hit after the retirement of one long-serving psychiatrist and the sudden death of Dr. Angus Beckearlier this month.

Beck alone had about 200 patients.One of them, Ellen Taylor, described his death as a "major, major loss" to the system.

A woman stands on a sidewalk looking at the camera.
Mental health advocate Ellen Taylor says its important that services are there when people finally decide to reach out for help. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

"A lot of people were referred back to their family doctor, which then puts them behind the eight ball for services again because they're back at the bottom of the list," said Taylor, who advocates for better mental health care on the Island.

"Trying to access meds has been difficult because they're not able to get that at a walk-in clinic, so they're trying to figure a way around that and just the relationship of the psychiatrist [to the] patient is really hard to re-establish."

Taylor worries about wait times that stretch into months.

When people who have been struggling finally decide to reach out for help, she pointed out, "it's so important for the hand to be there."

'There was a lot of interest'

Health Minister Mark McLane said the province continues to work to recruit new doctors, including psychiatrists, with efforts includinga recent trip to the United States.

Mark McLane at microphone with P.E.I. flag in the background.
Health Minister Mark McLane says the province continues to work to recruit new doctors, including psychiatrists, and that included a recent recruitment mission to the U.S. (CBC)

"There was a lot of interest in the U.S. conference that Dr. Salabarria attended on our behalf," said McLane."P.E.I. is a great place to practise."

Salabarria said he knows of one psychiatrist visiting the Island in the next couple of weekswho may consider working here, and two orthree more have also expressed some interest.

"Our investments in mental health, again with the new facilities, I think are very attractive too," McLane went on. "We will break ground on the new hospital very soon and that will be another recruitment tool for us."

'That's a game changer'

The minister was talking about a series of new buildings in the works to replace aging facilities in and around Hillsborough Hospital in Charlottetown.

A billboard in the front lawn of the hospital lays out where the new buildings, and new hospital, will be constructed.
Construction on the new Hillsborough Hospital is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2027. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

Two buildings have already been completed.Construction on the new Hillsborough Hospital is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2027.Work on the new mental health and additions wellness and transition centre is also scheduled to start this year and be completed in 2026.

Once those are complete, provincial officials confirm addictions treatment services now offered in Mount Herbert, nine kilometres east of Charlottetown,will be moved to the new campus in the provincial capital.

Salabarria said the hospital and the new medical school will both be key tools to recruit badly needed psychiatrists to the province.

A doctor with a blue shirt stands in the parking lot in front of a brick hospital.
Dr. Javier Salabarria says with a growing population, and plans for a new medical school, the need for psychiatrists on Prince Edward Island is only going to grow. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

In fact, his face lights up when he talks about the new hospital.

"That's a game changer," he said.

"I think that's going to be a huge, huge benefit towards recruitment. Not only do we have the new building, which is very important, but we also have new programs."