Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health authority is changing how it deals with rheumatology referrals in order to cope with the impending loss of a doctor who specializes in adult arthritis.

Eastern Health said in a release Monday that chronic arthritis sufferers who've been referred to a specialist will be sent back to their family doctor for treatment.

"Family physicians are being provided with resources to help them treat their patients," the release said.

Dr. Majed Khraishi, an arthritis specialist who's worked in St. John's for 18 years, told CBC News this week that people with rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis in the province must wait five times longer than is medically safe. And that would worsen with the departure of a rheumatologist in May.

Sending chronic patients to family doctors would be a temporary measure, said Dr. Sean Hamilton, Eastern Health's clinical chief of Rheumatology.

"When more reasonable wait times are achieved for patients suffering from acute inflammatory conditions, the rheumatology team will again accept referrals for chronic non-inflammatory conditions," he said in the release.

A central referral system will see each patient given a priority rating based on an assessment by a rheumatology nurse practitioner.

The health authority said a survey from August of 2008 found that the waiting time could be nearly ten months for people with acute conditions, and stretch to as long as 3 ½ years for people with chronic non-inflammatory conditions.

"We feel these wait times are unacceptable and are taking measures to improve current wait times for both groups (chronic and acute patients)," said Hamilton.

There are currently five rheumatologists who treat adults practicing in St. John's.