A Gap In Community Healthcare Filled
Without a hospital in Port Hope, residents of the west end of Northumberland County were not able to access close-to-home medical care. Many people did not (and still do not) have family doctors, due to a shortage of physicians. In order to address this critical need for family healthcare in the west end of the County, the Port Hope & District Health Care Foundation decided to fund a walk-in clinic.
Reduced Need For Provincial Healthcare Funding
The healthcare offered at Port Hope’s Walk-In Clinic costs our healthcare system far less than treatment at a hospital emergency department—about 25-30% of the cost of a hospital visit. Port Hope & District Health Care Foundation covers an additional fee of $10 per person for this healthcare program (above the regular provincially insured charge for a doctor’s visit), and funding to cover the cost of office/examination space, nurse’s salary, and supplies. The entire cost of the clinic is jointly shared by the Foundation and doctors involved. Doctor’s fees are billed to the Ministry of Health.
Serving The Wider Community
Although it was set up in Port Hope, the Walk-In Clinic saw about 20% of its patients from outside the County, and as far away as Peterborough, Millbrook, Grafton, and Roseneath. Knowing medical attention was available outside of a local emergency room made the Port Hope Walk-In Clinic a preferable alternative to long waiting times.
This service is no longer available due to Covid-19, Doctor participation and decreasing demand.
