Primary Care and Emergency Medicine in Nanaimo

Dr Robert Arr Woodward is a Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Physician in Nanaimo.

Originally from the UK he has a background in Family Medicine, Critical Care and Anaesthesia as well as Fellowships in Emergency Medicine and Pain Management.

Practicing out of the Family Practice Clinic in Nanaimo, BC and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital it is a pleasure to look after my patients and serve the community.

Practice Locations

Family Medicine

Working out of the Family Practice Clinic in North Nanaimo it is a pleasure to offer Longitudinal Family Medicine to my patients and other patients attached to the clinic.

This includes (but is not limited to);
- Acute and Chronic disease management,
- Fertility, contraception and early pregnancy support,
- Minor in office procedures,
- Peadiatric care and routine health reviews,
- Health promotion, advice and screening,
- Mental health care,
- Specialist referrals and care co-ordination,
- Palliative care.

Unfortunately due to the breath of medicine there are a number of specialised services that outside of my scope of practise. In these cases I will ensure that appropriate referrals and specialist input is obtained as needed.

Unfortunately I am currently not able to accept new patients due to practice capacity limits.

Emergency Medicine

Working out of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital I work as an Emergency Physician in the Nanaimo Practice Eligible Program. This is a way of me leveraging my prior experience in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care whilst obtaining Canadian certification in Emergency Medicine.

This means that you can expect to see me on occasion in the Emergency Room at NRGH. Whilst I am there I am there for all of the patients in the department in the same way as any other other Emergency Physician.

Occasionally if a patient requires follow up after their time in the ER, but they don’t have a family doctor I will offer a set number of follow up appointments through my private practice in Family Practice Clinic. This doesn’t mean that I would be able to act as your GP, nor provide longitudinal family medicine and I would only be able to review the specific indication or investigation that we agreed in the ER.

The Family Practice Clinic is not a walk in clinic or an emergency service. If you are acutely unwell and need immediate or urgent care please call 911 or attend the ER.

Other Services and Information

Non MSP Insured Services

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There are a number of services that are offered through our clinic that will not be covered by MSP and for which a private fee may be due. These include (but are not limited to): ICBC medicals, Sick notes, Insurance notes or medical reports. A full and up to date fee schedule is published in the waiting room of the clinic.

Residents

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The Family Practice Clinic is a teaching clinic and we have a number of Resident doctors with us. These are qualified physicians who have finished medical school and are undergoing postgraduate training before independent practice. You may be offered an appointment with a resident or one may observe one with you regular physician.

You have the right to decline to see or be seen by a Resident physician and for it not to impact your care. However we would ask that consider seeing them, as after all they might be your new Doctor.

Post ER Follow-Up

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Occasionally if a patient requires follow up after their time in the ER, but they don’t have a family doctor I will offer follow up in the community. This is to ensure stabilisation but unfortunately doesn’t mean I will be able to act as your GP beyond the indication I originally reviewed.

Appointments

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Current patients can book online using link or via calling the clinic on: (250) 758-1711

Out-of-Hours Medical Care

Our regular office hours are Monday to Friday 0830 - 1630. When our office is closed, patients can access medical advice and care as follows:

  • For urgent medical advice: Please call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak with a health professional who can advise you on the most appropriate next step.

  • For urgent but non-life-threatening medical concerns: Please attend an appropriate Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) or an Urgent Care Centre. Our nearest UPCC is:
    Central Nanaimo Urgent and Primary Care Centre
    3260 Norwell Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 1X5
    1-833-688-8722
    Open 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

  • For emergencies: If you are experiencing a medical emergency, including symptoms that may be life-threatening, call 9-1-1 or attend Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH).

Please note that routine prescription renewals, referrals, forms, and non-urgent medical concerns should be addressed during regular office hours. We encourage patients to seek the appropriate level of care based on the urgency of their medical concern. If you are unsure where to seek care, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1.

If you are a Laboratory or Clinician with an emergent result that requires an immediate response please contact me through the NRGH switchboard.