health teamDear Editor,

The Owen Sound Sun Times says "Nurses will no longer do initial medical inquiries".

The Owen Sound Family Health Team website says "A Family Health Team is an approach to primary health care that brings together different health care providers to co-ordinate the highest possible quality of care for you - the patient."

Somehow, at least in my case, these two statements seem diametrically opposed to each other.

Sent to the OSFHT by a retiring Doctor, I was first assigned to a Nurse Practitioner. I certainly felt she was giving me "the highest possible care" especially when she assured me that I was in a team environment.

Then I was suddenly assigned to a Doctor with a Nurse who took my vitals, asked me what I was there for, then asked me more questions and answered mine and then said the Doctor would be in to see me soon. The Doctor already knowing what was going on with me from his Nurse was able to deal with my problem efficiently.

There seems to me to be a personal vendetta here somewhere that flies in the face of the OSFHT stated approach.

If Doctors feel hard done by, should they be taking it out on the patients?

Bill Moses
Owen Sound