Once you have seen a family physician in our office, it is our policy NOT to allow switches to other physicians of the clinic, for the following reasons:
**All of our physicians are fully qualified to provide primary care to patients of all ages and genders. All of our physicians practice in similar ways.
**Our physicians work in a collaborative team, and are therefore hesitant to contradict a colleague if a conflict arises between a patient’s request and their physician’s professional opinion or advice. Patients deserve an unbiased second opinion, which can only be obtained through a new physician in a different clinic.
**Taking on new patients requires a significant amount of administrative work to review health history as well as old medical records; allowing switching would increase this administrative work, and reduce physician availability for medical care.
**As our physicians work in a collaborative group practice, if you are unhappy with your current physician, there may be instances where you would have to see that physician again should you stay with another physician in the clinic; this has the potential to result in sub-optimal medical care.
This policy does not prevent patients from reasonable access to a physician; we are fortunate to be located in Toronto with a high density of health care providers, and patients may certainly seek care with a new physician at a different clinic.