The last few years has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare industry. Overflowing emergency rooms, medical staff shortages and healthcare worker burnout are just some of the examples as to how hard the virus hit Toronto.

Walk-in clinics have also taken a big hit. While the government has lifted restrictions across Ontario, many family physicians have stuck to virtual appointments or introduced a hybrid format, with limited exceptions for in-person appointments. 

Leslieville Medical Centre and Warden Woods Medical Centre are among some of the clinics that are still not available for in-person appointments.

According to the Ontario Medical Association, one of the reasons why physicians are not being pushed to do in-person appointments is because of patient backlogs. Trying to deal with higher demand due to this backlog has made doctors suffer from severe burnout. 

Can we please stop saying that NPs are a replacement for Family Physicians? The training is fundamentally different. There is no replacement for a well trained FP.

— Alison Kabaroff (@AlisonKabaroff) August 10, 2022

Prior to the restrictions lifting, certain lockdown protocols meant that doctors' offices could only fit in a fraction of the patients they had pre-pandemic, which meant additional wait times. They had to work under strict hygiene and infection control protocols too, which led to more burnout.

Simply put, having (and keeping) virtual appointments helps to manage the workload and stress.

However, physicians now are expected to provide in-person care based on clinical needs and patient preference.