Documents offer glimpse into why some P.E.I. doctors chose to leave

Some of the doctors who resigned or retired from the Health P.E.I. system over the past year and a half said the workloads they faced were unreasonable.

Others pointed to what they saw as an overly bureaucratic health-care system with too much government involvement.

Those feelings are captured in documents made available to CBC News through an access to information request that asked for government reports and emails related to doctor resignations going back to the start of 2022.

During that time, 29 doctors left their jobs with Health P.E.I., including 13 who retired and 16 who resigned.

Six of the doctors who resigned took other jobs within the Island's health-care system, while the other 10 left the province. Of those 10, five told the agency they were relocating to be closer to family members.

The package of documents included resignation letters with identifying details about the doctors blacked out, as well as an interim summary of what eight of them told Health P.E.I.'s executive director of human resources during informal exit interview conversations.

Common themes of those exit interviews included: 

On the other hand, doctors interviewed agreed that "the compensation is generally competitive," that they're working with "a great team" and that P.E.I. is "a great place to live."

Some said the province's new electronic medical records system was making life easier for them, not harder. 

The resignation letters showed the mixed feelings some doctors had as they decided to walk away from their jobs.

"Today, with real regret and genuine sadness, but also in truth a real relief, I am [tendering] my resignation from family and hospital practice in P.E.I.," one said. 

Another doctor wrote they decided to resign with a "heavy heart" and following "months of deliberation."

"This was a fantastic place to work," they said. "My colleagues are all amazing, my practice is full of wonderful patients and my job ... was stimulating. I had hoped to practise in P.E.I. until retirement but I now feel that I have no choice but to resign." 

"Leaving this position has been a difficult decision for me, but necessary," another letter said. "I hope that I may find a new role within the local health-care system."