1 in 12 people without a doctor in Windsor-Essex, and it's affecting hospitals

James Hazell moved to Windsor, Ont., from Saskatchewan in April.

The 24-year-old says he's been dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since he was a childand has severe back issues.

He can't find a family doctor in the region to treat him.

"I've been struggling to find a doctor since Day 1. All the doctors are overbooked. There's just no doctors, really," Hazell said.

"They're struggling to adapt and overcome from what COVID did to our society, which is a shame, because Canada has always been No. 1with the medical care, and we're slowly and surely failing our society."

Hazell said the longer his back goes untreated, the worse it will become,because ofherniated disks. His more immediate concern is treating his mental health.

"Itaffects me quite hard," he said of his ADHD. "This past weekend, I had a bad anxiety attack. Without my medications, I struggle, and without a doctor, I can't get a prescription."

Hazell saidhe can't afford to wait "fiveor eight" hours in a walk-in clinic to see a doctor.

"It's a struggle, and without a doctor, I can't get a prescription for my medications," he said.

"It's hurting my mental health at the end of the day, and Ican only imagine what it's doing to more severe mental health patients struggling to find a doctor."

In the region, about one in 12 people are without a doctor.

More than 36,000 without a doctor

More than 36,000 peoplein Windsor-Essex don't have a family doctor, and thousands more are contributing to the strain on the health system by using emergency departments to get care.

That's according to data compiled by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), whichpredicts one in five people across the province will be without a family physician by 2025.

"A number of [family doctors] have retired, and the pandemic probably accelerated that a little bit, but we see fewer medical students choosing family medicine, and some young docs even leaving the profession, where perhaps we might not have expected them to leave so soon," said Dr. JenBondy, a Windsor family physician whosits on the board of the OCFP.

WATCH | Why having a family doctor is so important for patient care:

Why having a family doctor is so important for patient care

2 years ago

Duration 1:02

Windsor, Ont. family physician Dr. Jen Bondy explains why having a family doctor is so important for patients and their long-term health.

"The population is aging, which, as people get a little bit older, they can require a little bit more health care, and the last piece is that the doctors that we do have are spending more and more time doing things that are not face-to-face patient care."

Bondy saidless administrative work could help doctors to see more patients in the immediate term, andthe college is recommending this to the province.

She also said3,500 patients in Windsor-Essex suffering from mental health issues do not have a family doctor.

"Oftentimes, that can be a more complex case that would require and would benefit from ongoing family medicine support," said Bondy.

About 14,000 people in the region who do not have doctorsoften go to emergency departments for care, adding to an already-strained system, saidthe OCFP.