Sask. doctors launch petition for province-wide patient registry

The College of Family Physicians says a province-wide registry could save time for patients and help offices find doctors faster. Mick Favel reports.

The Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians (CFPC) has launched an online petition calling for the creation of a province-wide registry for patients without a family doctor.

CFPC president Dr. Darcie McGonigle said the registry would save time for patients and reduce strain on physician offices.

“People are so desperate that it has become a significant burden on Saskatchewan residents,” McGonigle said.

She added the situation is also taking a toll on medical clinics.

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“It’s quite taxing on physician offices. Administrative staff have noted the calls are through the roof on a daily basis,” she said.

A 2025 Angus Reid Institute survey found one in four people in Saskatchewan do not have a family doctor. Nationally, the survey said one in five Canadians are without a family physician.

McGonigle said patients have been forced to create their own ways of searching for available doctors.

“People keep lists of clinics they call weekly or monthly, and there are Facebook groups that have been created,” she said.

The Government of Saskatchewan has said it is committed to ensuring everyone in the province has access to primary health care by the end of 2028.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said progress has been made toward developing a registry.

“There has been work done on registries of providers, and on how we accurately determine patient attachment numbers to ensure we’re moving in a positive direction,” Cockrill said.

Two petitions are currently circulating online — one for the public and one for physicians. Both will be submitted to the Minister of Health.

“We really do want to work with the government, the ministry and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to ensure a registry like this is developed in the best possible way,” McGonigle said.

Several other provinces have already developed patient registries or are in the process of implementing them.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority previously listed clinics accepting new patients on its website, but the list was removed due to difficulties keeping it up to date.