The following is the monthly column submitted by Premier Tim Houston’s office:
Government’s efforts to connect more Nova Scotians with the care they need are working.
Nova Scotia is marking a significant milestone for our healthcare system. We’ve achieved another substantial reduction in the number of people on the Need a Family Practice Registry.
More than 6,540 Nova Scotians were attached to a family doctor over the last month, bringing the number down to 77,526, which is 7.3 per cent of our population. This is by far the lowest in the country.
And we are on the right path. This time last year, that number was 145,000.
That is quite a drop, and it is because the investments and initiatives we’ve been making are working.
These include:
- a new program to recognize the credentials of more internationally trained doctors,
faster - 60 new and strengthened clinics to connect Nova Scotians to primary care along with
46 primary care clinics at pharmacies - the award-winning Physician Assessment Centre of Excellence (PACE)
This is on top of funding to establish a new nursing program at Acadia University and
more nurse training at universities and the Nova Scotia Community College across the
province.
The impact of these investments is undeniable. Investments in health, mental health
and seniors grew from $5.1 billion in 2021-22 to $8.3 billion this year. These
investments are producing results for Nova Scotians.
According to the latest Action for Health data: - the number of new doctors coming to the province is up 80 per cent
- nurse practitioners are up 390 per cent
- registered nurses are up 260 per cent
The job is not done, but the plan is working. More Nova Scotians are accessing care
and we are making progress.
When our government began our journey to fix healthcare, we were clear that it would take time, and that it would cost money.
It has. But you are worth it. I know that we made the right decision.
We won’t go back to the days when governments balanced budgets by cutting healthcare.
Instead, we will continue to strategically invest in our future.
The Cape Breton Medical Campus has begun training its first class of 30 future physicians, which will help future-proof our healthcare system from crumbling into another deep healthcare crisis like the one we inherited.
When we made a promise to fix healthcare, we meant it. While there is still work to be done, I’m incredibly proud of the progress.
Tim Houston
Premier of Nova Scotia
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