Region, township looking to recruit doctors

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Chief Administrative Officer Kristi Honey presented council with a memorandum of understanding Monday, outlining plans by the region and its member municipalities to recruit family doctors.

Honey said the recruitment program will run from July of this year to December 2027 to attract and retain family medicine trainees and family physicians to Durham. Funding for the program will be shared between the region and the municipalities and will include funding to hire a full-time permanent family physician recruiter. The region-wide Family Physician Recruitment Program was approved by regional council in January.

Under the proposed funding model, the program is expected to cost $55,000 in 2024, rising to $225,000 in 2025 and $225,000 plus a two-per-cent cost-of-living increase in 2026 and 2027. Uxbridge's share of the funding would be 1.5 per cent of the total, or $831 in 2024 and $3,398 in 2025.

Honey's report said the memorandum of understanding would not prevent municipalities from negotiating with anyone or from engaging in their own family physician recruitment strategies.