Seven obstetrician gynecologists resign from hospital in B.C. Interior

KAMLOOPS – Seven obstetrician gynecologists have resigned from in-hospital privileges under the Interior Health authority at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, B.C.

Interior Health vice-president of medicine Dr. Mark Masterson says the doctors make up the whole department, but he assured the public there will be no change to obstetric or gynecology services at the hospital.

His comments come after a letter dated Oct. 11 was sent to community health care providers by the seven doctors announcing the move. 

The letter, obtained by CFJC, says “safety issues due to changing workload and inability to recruit” over many years have pushed the doctors to a point where they are “unable to continue with in-hospital care” without support from Interior Health and the province.

It also cites recent issues surrounding maternity care capacity of the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics Clinic, which operates out of the clinical services building at Royal Inland Hospital. 

Masterson says the health authority is disappointed by the decision, because it has worked with the doctors to make changes to support them. 

It includes changing access to operating theatres to ensure better entry for obstetric patients, development of clinics for low-, intermediate- and high-risk cases, and work on recruitment of physician candidates.

“We’ve been working for several years with them, with our operations and medical affairs teams, who are being informed by the obstetrician gynecologist as to what their needs are,” Masterson says in an interview. 

“So, in the end, to come to the end of that work with having made great strides and in implementing many changes, it’s disappointing that we’re at this position.”

The Ministry of Health directed a request for information Interior Health, which says some of the contract logistics are out of its hands.

The doctors’ letter says there’s a lack of support for women’s health provincially, and they are “devastated that we have come to this point in Kamloops.” 

It says changes to patient care will be “carefully co-ordinated,” and many of the doctors will continue to provide outpatient gynecology work in the area. 

It says they will be working with Interior Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons to ensure they are meeting professional requirements, and notification of phased withdrawal of in-hospital care will be sent out.

Masterson says the in-hospital changes will happen “over time.”

He says they’ll build a transition plan that allows them to maintain services at Royal Inland Hospital, “and if there are changes to the availability of care, those will be communicated to the patients in the public.” 

Care at the hospital is ongoing. 

“We’d ask patients to continue working with their primary care providers, and if they are in need of urgent care that they still present to Royal Inland Hospital where they’ll be assessed, they’ll be triaged, and will arrange to ensure that they’re getting the care that they need,” Masterson says. 

Patients on the surgical wait lists will be contacted directly to plan next steps for their health management and care, he says.

“The key message people need to hear right now is that Royal Inland Hospital remains open, and we are working extraordinarily hard to ensure, through all of those changes we talked about, that the hospital is able to provide care for the patients of the pocket of the region now and in the long term.” 

— with files from CFJC

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2025.