Expect to wait, or travel, for an X-ray this summer in Kelowna

Photo: Colin Dacre

Kelowna residents in need of an X-ray this summer can expect to wait much longer than normal, or have to travel, for the exam.

Like nearly all parts of the healthcare system, Kelowna Medical Imaging – the only X-ray provider in the city outside of KGH – is dealing with major staffing challenges.

Managing partner Dr. David Manders says they have experienced an “unprecedented loss of staff” over the past six to nine months, forcing the suspension of X-ray services in two of their three Central Okanagan clinics. Now, only the West Kelowna clinic is offering X-rays.

When the three clinics were fully staffed with seven X-ray technologists, they were completing around 200 X-rays a day. Now, the lone X-ray technologist left and some casual staff are able to complete around 45 a day.

The outstanding X-rays are being redirected to an already overburdened KGH, or to other hospitals and clinics elsewhere in the Okanagan.

Manders says they have lost staff for a variety of reasons, including high cost of living in Kelowna, retirement or others going to work for the hospital.

He says they are doing all they can to attract staff and will ramp up capacity as soon as more technologists are hired.

“We've got the equipment, we've got the buildings, we're paying for every other staff and person that's around to kind of support it. We are doing our best to find staff, we’ve advertised in as many places as we can think,” he said.

“We're trying to find ways to think outside the box as far as finding new technologists as well, whether that's trying to support technologists as they go through their training to come join us afterwards – or whether that's enticing staff and in other ways, but we're doing our best.”

Making matters worse, Manders says fewer people than ever are entering the field, with just 28 of 80 seats in BCIT’s X-ray technologist training program currently filled. He could only guess why that is the case, but noted entrance requirements have become more difficult in recent years.

“I want to emphasize that we're doing our best to try to help the patients and doing our best to try to bring in more staff to help facilitate this. We've done our best to try to help distribute patients during this very difficult time.”

While X-ray services have been suspended at Kelowna Medical Imaging’s Richter and Orchard Park clinics, other exams like mammograms and bone density scans are still being provided at those locations.

Staffing shortages have also recently been impacting cancer treatment in Kelowna and seniors care homes.