Premier Stephen McNeil says government is still working on his election promise to get every Nova Scotian a family doctor.
The premier says they needed time to determine where the need exists for doctors and the rate at which doctors are retiring.
“We brought in seventy or eighty physicians but we know at the same time there were others ones leaving that were creating issues in communities. Our goal is to continue to meet that target and continue to make sure that Nova Scotians have access to a family physician and a family practice.”
He says new doctors want a new work model.
“Working towards getting a family physician for every person in Nova Scotia. That should always be the goal of a government. For the first time, we have a holistic view of the province. But, we’re also seeing some changes in the way physicians want to practice.”
McNeil points to investments in collaborative care centres and hiring more nurse practioners as positive steps towards meeting the health care needs of Nova Scotians.
He asserts they’ve reduced the number of Nova Scotians without family doctors from 100,000 to 25,000.
The premier says by using the collaborative model and paying competitive wages, Nova Scotia will be able to attract and retain more doctors to help bring those numbers down.
Meanwhile, the leader of Nova Scotia’s NDP says people deserve better.
Gary Burrill says Stephen McNeil has failed on his 2013 election promise to have a family doctor for every Nova Scotian.
“And today, three and a half years later there are 10,000 more people without a doctor than was the case when they originally made that promise.”
Figures from the Nova Scotia Health Authority show just over 25,000 people are on a wait list for a doctor or nurse practitioner, up from 6,000 last fall.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, there are currently 95,000 Nova Scotians without a physician.
Burrill says the NDP have launched a website to collect stories from people without a family doctor.
