This practice should be reviewed by the Nova Scotia Ministry of Health.
Almost every time I call to try to get a spot at the night clinic, I'm told there are no spots left or that they are extremely late at night.
Their assigned time to start calling is 5:00 p.m. I call at 5:00 p.m. and often get through in a minute or two.
How can all the spots be filled in a minute or two?
I also find it very odd that I am told there are no spots, mention it to a co-worker and they say they always get in, because the receptionist is a friend of theirs. Several times, the co-worker has even said they had a spot that very night where I couldn't get one for my child. They called that morning.
That is unacceptable.
Even more unacceptable is that the clinic is, to the best of my knowledge, supposed to refer patients with a family doctor to go to their family doctor, or the emergency room if it is urgent.
Several people I know have family doctors, the clinic is aware of this, and takes them anyway. Including the co-worker who is friends with the receptionist.
Meanwhile, people like myself who are still waiting to get a family doctor, after 5 years, are being ignored.
It is also unacceptable that if a person does get a referral, to a doctor in this clinic that is accepting patients, be made to interview with the physician.
This is to, "...see if the doctor is willing to take you on.", according to the receptionist.
These doctors are paid by public funds from taxpayers, like you and me.
If anything, the patients should be interviewing them.