Sitting in the waiting room of a medical clinic or an emergency room is the last place most of us want to be over the holidays, but for some of us the trip will be inevitable.
As the majority of medical clinics in St. Albert, Morinville and Sturgeon County will be running reduced hours over Christmas and New Year's, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms will be bearing the brunt of the patient load.
"The holidays are a really busy time for everybody and not least physicians," said Brian Jackson, executive director of the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network.
"If it is that people may wait a few extra hours, then I would just ask people to show a little bit of patience. The PCN and all the member physicians are there for the community to provide primary care services."
The PCN office will be closed for scheduled appointments on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Into the new year, the PCN will also continue to provide funding for an after hours program that helps affiliate physician offices stay open later.
Since the program's inception in April, more than 6,500 patients have been treated in doctors' offices after hours. Around 2,400 of those patients did not have family physicians, but now do.
Come January, a new physician will also be added to the roster over at the Kingsridge Medical Clinic. They are currently accepting new patients.
The Alberta College of Physicians & Surgeons website (http://www.cpsa.ab.ca/) also has a comprehensive list of family physicians in the area that are currently accepting new patients.
The only walk-in clinic serving St. Albert and the surrounding area is the Tudor Glen Medicentre. It will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. They are open Dec. 24, 26 through 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 30 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Dec. 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Patients can check with their family doctors about holiday office hours.
Visiting the emergency room
For those in need of more urgent medical care, people can check out Alberta Health Services' emergency department wait times online or mobile app before they head to the hospital.
The app provides an estimated waiting time of how long it will take from the time you are assessed by a nurse until you are seen by a physician. Emergency departments throughout the Edmonton area, including the Sturgeon Community Hospital, are listed.
The wait times are updated every two minutes.
AHS provides a disclaimer that the wait times are provided for informational purposes only as the times can change quickly depending on serious traumas. Sickest patients will always be seen first.
Wait times are determined by comparing the number of people in the emergency department with how many doctors are available. The app focuses on the typical wait time for the majority of emergency department visits.
AHS advises that in the case of a serious emergency always call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department
If in need of advice on symptoms and care options, or after-hours clinics available at some physician offices, people can call Health Link Alberta toll-free 24 hours per day/seven days per week at 1-866-408-5465.
