Retirement Planning for Physicians
Information Workbook
The North Shore Division created this workbook to assist with your retirement needs. Click here to download a PDF copy (fillable online) or email us to ask for a paper copy to be delivered to your office.
CPSBC
Guidelines
The CPSBC recommends that retiring physicians notify their patients and colleagues at least three months in advance of their departure. These CPSBC Guidelines outline several important considerations, such as patient medical record stewardship.
Contact List
If you need a contact list of all physicians in your area that you may need to contact with your retirement notification, click here to fill out a form that entitles you to a list of all fellow college member's clinic fax numbers. This list can be distributed to all members for no-fee only once per year.
Letter Templates
Patient Practice Closure Template (Have Not Found a Replacement)
This letter is used to notify patients of your retirement. It also includes directions for patients to opt in to receive help finding a new healthcare provider from the Division.
Patient Practice Closure Template (Have Found a Replacement)
This letter template was written for physicians who wish to notify their patients of their departure from practice who have not found someone to take over.
Retiring physicians are advised to notify labs, specialists, and other local physicians of their retirement. Among the information included in this letter should be: your last day of practice and where to send results after that date. This letter has the basic information you should use to notify your colleagues.
MedRecords
MedRecords is endorsed by Doctors of BC. They can alleviate the burden of patient medical record stewardship for the required amount of time by managing and storing your patient medical records for you. More information can be found here.
Urgent Attachment Referral
If you do not have a physician to take over your practice after you retire, you can fill out this template for your most complex and urgent patients. This urgent referral will go to our GPLink Attachment program where we will process the referral and contact your patient directly. Please make sure you have discussed the referral with your patient and have deemed them as “needing urgent placement”. They must fit all requirements listed on the referral letter. If you have any questions about attachment please contact northshore@nsdivision.ca.
Retirement Support
If you have any questions or would like one of our dedicated staff to discuss your retirement needs and/or what we can do to support you through your retirement, please email us at northshore@nsdivision.ca.