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Open letter warns of Okanagan hospital specialist exodus over Interior Health policy
Three Penticton Regional Hospital neurologists resigned after Interior Health expanded after-hours on-call duties, leaving no replacements ready and raising access concerns, physicians said.
- All three neurologists at Penticton Regional Hospital resigned following Interior Health's decision to mandate expanded regional after-hours coverage, with departures set for November and December 2026.
- Interior Health recently restructured regional neurology, requiring local specialists to cover the entire region after hours without additional compensation, a move physicians argued lacked meaningful consultation with those providing patient care.
- Beyond Penticton, neurologists in Vernon and Kamloops have also resigned following these changes, continuing a pattern seen in 2025 when four psychiatrists left Vernon Hospital and seven obstetrician-gynecologists departed Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.
- Interior Health Executive Medical Director Dr. Kirstie McLelland stated "urgent neurology consultation continues to be available through established regional pathways," while the authority limited further comment citing the election interregnum.
- Losing local in-person neurological services will force patient transfers to centres like Kelowna or Vancouver, complicating care as the medical community demands transparency and accountability for decisions affecting specialist access.
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The Free Press+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Open letter warns of hospital specialist exodus over Interior Health policy
In an open letter from members of the South Okanagan medical community, Interior Health is being called out for driving away the only neurologists stationed at Penticton Regional Hospital. The letter lays out how the three neurologists at PRH filed their resignation papers following IH moving to require them to provide expanded after-hours on-call coverage beyond just the South Okanagan, without any increase in compensation. The three local neur…
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