Physician recruitment rises but warning signs loom: Doctors Manitoba

Manitoba is succeeding in drawing more physicians into the health-care system — logging a second consecutive year of record-breaking doctor gains — but keeping them in the province continues to prove challenging.

A report by Doctors Manitoba shows significant improvement at recruiting physicians and slashing a provincial shortage, but suggests retirements, burnout and out-of-province migration could put it at risk.

“I’m sure the government is ecstatic about these record-breaking new numbers of physicians that we haven’t seen before, and they certainly deserve their part of the credit for that, but there are also other aspects,” Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba, said Thursday.

“Retention is as much of an important issue as recruitment. It’s one thing to get a doctor to come to the area, but it’s another to retain them.”

The organization that represents Manitoba’s doctors said the number of physicians per 100,000 residents climbed to 225 this year, a gain of 2.5 per cent from 2024.

The annual “Physicians in Manitoba” report said Manitoba needs 246 additional doctors to meet the national average of 241. That’s a decrease from a high of 445 two years ago.

Both figures were compiled by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Manitoba had a record increase of 164 docs last year, bringing the total number of physicians to 3,498, as reported by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba in September.

“Manitoba is climbing out of a record physician shortage, thanks to strong recruitment efforts and record increases over the last two years,” Desilets said. “It took years for the shortage to get as deep as it was, and we are digging out faster than we anticipated.”

On the negative side of the register, Doctors Manitoba called attention to troubling results from a survey it conducted of its members.

In total, 1,318 fully licensed physicians responded to the survey, representing 38 per cent of members. Of those, 21 per cent — or 710 physicians — said they are considering retiring or leaving the province in the next three years.

When the option of reducing hours was added to the equation, the figure rose to 43 per cent of doctors.

Over the past five years, the province has lost an average of 155 physicians annually due to departures or retirement, Doctors Manitoba said.

“Retention is as much of an important issue as recruitment. It’s one thing to get a doctor to come to the area, but it’s another to retain them.”

Fifty-five per cent of the physicians intending to leave have their sights set on B.C., while 38 per cent are eyeing Alberta. Another 35 per cent are considering heading to Ontario, 23 per cent are looking south of the border and the rest are exploring elsewhere in Canada or abroad, the survey found.

Manitoba saw a net loss of 8.3 physicians per 1,000 people to other provinces last year, ranking it second worst among the provinces, according to Canadian Institute for Health Information data.

“I would say to those doctors, ‘We’re listening, we hear you loud and clear,’” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said.

“We’re doing the work to make health care in Manitoba a much more attractive place for physicians to work, and again, we’re seeing improvements in these numbers but we know we need to do more.”

The minister said work is ongoing to reduce workloads and administrative burdens.

Opposition Leader Obby Khan said the addition of new physicians in recent years has done little to improve wait times in emergency rooms.

“Another song and dance announcement and report saying, ‘We’ve hired X amount of doctors, X amount of doctors,’ but where are they?” Khan said.

He suggested lowering taxes for high-income earners, describing proposed tax hikes in the latest NDP budget as “a doctors’ tax.”

Desilets noted there is a national shortage of doctors.

“Our problem is a problem that is shared everywhere. That means other provinces are potentially recruiting Manitoba physicians,” Desilets said. “Even for those who are happy here and who have had a really fulfilling career here, there are still lots of challenges.”

“It took years for the shortage to get as deep as it was, and we are digging out faster than we anticipated.”

Frustration over administrative burden, siloed electronic record systems, and a lack of access to equipment and facilities are key drivers of physician burnout and distress, Desilets said.

Provincial initiatives to address those concerns, such as an ongoing overhaul of the medical record system, have helped, but more is needed, she said.

Reducing surgical wait times and increasing access to diagnostic imaging and medical transportation are critical components — as is ensuring physicians are involved in high-level policy decisions.

“Physicians who are on the front lines… feel that they are constantly being asked to do more with less, and that can lead to a sense of moral injury,” she said.

The report found that 56 per cent of doctors are experiencing distress and 48 per cent reported high burnout.

Doctors Manitoba said it has spearheaded initiatives to provide early career support, mentorship, leadership training and enhance peer and physician mental health support.

Another worrisome factor highlighted by the report relates to current students and residents in the province: only 60 per cent of them plan to stay in Manitoba.

Some in this group are considering relocating for personal or family reasons, but others cited frustration with system issues, administrative burdens, better recruitment incentives and a sense of not being valued in Manitoba, the report found.

Desilets said the province must prioritize proactively reaching out to new grads and make it easy for them to find their preferred jobs.

Dr. Peter Nickerson, dean of the Max Rady College of Medicine and Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said up to 75 per cent of graduating medical students complete their residencies in Manitoba.

“Our problem is a problem that is shared everywhere.”

“UM works collaboratively with our partners and government to provide our graduates an opportunity to continue their medical training here,” he said in an email statement.

The number of Manitoba graduates starting practice in the province last year totalled 70, declining from a record high of 87 in 2021.

The Manitoba Medical Student Association did not respond to a request for comment sent Thursday morning.

— with files from Carol Sanders

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca