QEHC revamps walk-in clinic

Starting on Nov. 4, Priority One will be replaced by a new entity called Queen Elizabeth Urgent Care. And whereas Priority One has been operating on shortened hours and is closed on Sundays, the new clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

According to Dr. Mark Roper, a Westmount physician who is also the director of primary care at the McGill University Health Centre, the Montreal Health Agency, which manages health services across the island, is implementing a new concept called a clinique réseau.

"A clinique réseau is a clinic that's open 365 days a year, has rapid access to radiology and blood tests, and access also to more urgent consultations," he said. "It's a bit like the front-end, walk-in area of an emergency department."

At Queen Elizabeth Urgent Care, radiology will be available and semi-urgent blood tests will be shipped to the McGill University Health Centre. "It's an attempt to download that sort of activity from emergency departments," Roper said, adding that it should improve local access to medical services, which has been lacking in the area for many years.

"That area, since the Queen E. closed, has really been hit hard with the lack of emergency or semi-urgent care. This is a concept that the Agence supports. They give us money for nursing and liaison with community services, as well."

Dr. Roper said the Royal Victoria Hospital's community clinic and the Montreal General Hospital's family medicine clinic were merged last year and moved to the QEHC, resulting in an increase in the number of doctors available at the new walk-in clinic.

"A lot of the doctors from the MUHC will be working there and we will work very closely with the MUHC for lab tests and consultations," he said. "But the key thing is we will be there open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 12 hours a day, and we will be open on the weekends, as well."

Dr. Roper said there already are about 10 similar clinics on the island of Montreal. They include the Westmount Square Clinic and Metro-Medic at St. Mathieu and St. Catherine streets downtown. He said Queen Elizabeth Urgent Care will be the first on the territory of the CSSS Cavendish.

"This will be, of course, RAMQ-insured — it's not a private clinic in the least. People with their medicare cards will have their care covered and their blood tests will be free. The standard extra costs may be for any forms to be filled out, as usual, but there'll be no surprises.

"Of course, in the MUHC, family medicine is very aware that the MUHC will be built down the road," he added, referring to the mega-hospital project that is slated to start just a block south of the QEHC in the former Glen Yards. "So we look upon this as a good strategic place to expand our services for that reason, as well.